You Were My Sky
by Aleka
Summary: *Now Complete*Two sisters come to Castle Rock, and put the guys and their new friends through some tests of friendship. It's around the time when they start to drift apart. *Read and Review Please!!*
1. The New Addition

"Look, new blood," Abby Chambers whispered on the bus to school. "Delia, stay away, you'll scare her."

Delia didn't sacrifice a look for her sister. She continued to read over her hastily done but nevertheless perfect English paper. When Abby gave up and went back to talking to Andie, Delia looked up and saw what Abby had called new blood. There was a girl their age making her way down the aisle, trying to find an empty seat. She had long dark hair and her eyes were downcast. She didn't look very happy to be there. Probably nervous to be starting at a new school, that's all. Screw it. Delia wasn't about to go out of her way to be friendly just yet. She'd leave that to Andie Weiss, AKA God's gift to the world.

After a short ride, the bus' few occupants piled off in a slow and mindless manner.

"Mondays suck," Chris Chambers, Andie's boyfriend and brother of Abby and Delia, muttered. "Death to Mondays."

Teddy Duchamp shook his head. "Don't even talk to me."

Gordie smiled at Abby as she ran into a garbage can.

Delia caught Teddy's eye and he blushed. "Hey, Abby told me to stay away from that new girl. Same goes for you. No touchy."

Teddy smirked. "Okay. I'll keep my hands in my pockets."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," she warned him. 

Abby found out the new girl was in her English class, and she found out that her name was Libby. She never spoke throughout the entire class. However, Abby approached her after. She asked, "Do you want to eat with me and my friends? Well actually, my sister might be there too, but I'll make sure she wears her muzzle."

Libby smiled and shifted her backpack. "Okay, sure. Thanks."

"I'm Abby. I saw you on the bus this morning, so I took it upon myself to assume you just moved to Castle Rock. What street do you live on?"

"Stratton."

"Oh, so you're the people who moved in next to the Tessios. Vern said he hadn't met you guys yet." Abby said. They entered the cafeteria and got their food. On their way over to Abby's table, Libby eyed the food suspiciously. 

"This looks lethal. Will it kill me?"

"No one's died yet," Abby assured her. "I hope you're not allergic to puke though, because I think that's what it is." She put her tray down next to a girl with dark blond hair and an out of place Californian look to her. She sat down and gestured for Libby to sit next to her. "This is Libby. Don't frighten her away. I need friends, dammit." She regained her composure and introduced Libby to her friends. "This is Andie. That's Vern," She said, pointing to a boy with eager blue eyes and a sweet face. "He's the one you moved in next to. And that _lovely _creature is our very own Ice Queen. Don't touch her. You'll turn into dust or stone or something."

The Ice Queen girl smiled coldly and said, "I'm Delia, Abby's sister. You'll learn to tolerate her. I hope you have your rabies shots."

"Delia, go worship some roosters or something."

Andie smiled tenderly at the two sisters and then at Libby. "We'll have to introduce you to the guys."

"We have stupid boys," Delia grumbled. 

Vern dropped a wink at Libby. "Chris and Teddy pantsed her this morning."

"Oh dear," Libby said. 

"Oh _haha _is more like it," a guy with thick blond hair that flopped over his eyes said. He kissed Andie's cheek and sat down. 

"Bite me, Chris," Delia snapped. 

Chris finally noticed Libby. "Hi. I'm Chris. You're new."

She laughed. "Yep. I'm Libby. I am the new addition."

"Where's Gordie?" Abby asked. 

On cue, a doe-eyed boy approached the table with a blond guy with thick glasses and a confident walk. Gordie sat next to Delia, much to Abby's dismay and Teddy sat next to Vern. 

"Gordie, there's a new girl. Libby."

Teddy sighed. "Fine, Abby. Don't acknowledge my presence or introduce me, I don't care."

"That's odd. Teddy's mouth is moving but I can't hear anything," Abby said. 

"Abby, are you semi-retarded?"

She smiled at him. "Honestly, I'm hearing sounds like HKRAGAAGRR. Does anyone understand him?"

"Hi, Teddy," Libby laughed. 

"Thank you. Hey Libby."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Andie asked. 

"Yeah, an older sister, older brother and an annoying creature we've dubbed Jake who's nine."

"An older brother you say?" Delia asked slyly.

Abby threw a carrot stick at her sister. "No! You will not sacrifice Libby's brother! Or eat him after mating. Praying mantises do that, you know."

"Abby," Vern said. "You're rambling again."

"What kind of creature is Jake?" Chris asked. "Edible or toxic?"

"He tastes like peanuts."

Andie laughed. She asked, "Do your siblings have names? Or are they just It One and It Two like me and my brother are?"

"Tabitha and Gage. Gage's stupid and Tabitha's ill."

"Mentally?" Chris asked excitedly. "Andie's unstable! She's off her rocker."

"No. Tummy ache."

"Damn. There goes another potential roommate for Andie in the loony bin."

Andie glared. "Yeah, and you wonder why you're not getting laid."

"I _know _why. _You're _always here and you don't like prostitutes around."

Laughing, she slapped his shoulder. 

Abby sat up straight. "Holy crap! Those clouds look like they're having _sex!_"

Gordie grinned. "Hey, Chris, your sister is a genius."

She looked proud. "Did you hear that, Teddy? Gordie called me a genius. _I'm _a _genius."_

Teddy stared at her critically. "Most geniuses don't have mashed potatoes on their noses."

This made her pause. "Yeah--but some do."


	2. Flashback Number One

****

[Author's Note: Well. It appears as though I have contracted one of the following: the measles, GERMAN measles or chicken pox. Chicken pox at the age of 16 eh, that's just crap. Which MEANS I have to be in isolation, which MEANS I don't get to see the guy at my school who reminds me of _Gordie._ Oh well, I write better when I'm sick.]

Gordie shakily raised his hand, and Mrs. Reynolds called on him. 

"Can I please go to the bathroom?" he asked quietly. 

She nodded and returned to talking about whatever she was talking about.

Passing the bathroom, Gordie pushed open the back doors, running a hand through his hair and trying to breathe deeply. He begged himself not to start crying. 

The flashbacks of Denny were terrible lately. The memories he was having weren't terrible themselves, because everything he shared with his brother was the best, but the realness of them left him without enough air to breathe. He totally escaped from the present and became engulfed in his flashback. He wasn't sure why he'd been having them so frequently; usually the only time he had such realistic memories of him was when he was asleep and dreaming. The one he had just had in class had been about the time that Denny had taken him to the county fair when he was ten. Sitting in his desk, he could feel the ribbon attached to the red balloon he had carried, and could feel the stickiness of the vanilla ice cream he had eaten around the corners of his mouth. Denny's laugh was loud in his mind. Denny had been dead for three years now, but for a moment, he was right there with him in Mrs. Reynolds' Geography class of all places. That was why he had had to leave.

Looking up miserably at the sky, he whispered, "I miss you…"

Not ready to go back to class, Gordie decided to go for a walk. Jamming his hands in his pockets, he strolled along with his head lowered.

"Gordo!"

His name being called startled him out of his thoughts and he looked up. "Hi Abby."

With a paperback in her hands and her feet propped up on the picnic table she was seated at, Abby seemed totally at ease. That was what Gordie liked about her. She was calming to be around. She was like a female version of her brother, except not quite as worldly. Chris had been through more than Abby had, and so even when he was happy, you could tell that he could never completely give into the feeling.

"What are you doing?" she asked him. 

"Visiting my favorite Abby at Castle Rock High," he replied. "What are you doing? Shouldn't you be in class, learning?"

She shrugged, and put her feet down when he sat across from her. "I had Math. I hate that crap. It's so repetitive."

"That's because you're too smart for the grave curve."

"No kidding eh." She peered closely at him. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Gordie just looked at her for a long moment, wondering how she was able to read him so easily. Keeping his eyes on her, he said, "Kind of."

"Kind of what? You're kind of okay or you kind of saw a ghost?"

"Both."

She grimaced. "You been thinking about Denny?"

"Yeah."

"Well, good," she said, surprising him. "He'll never die if you never forget him."

"I couldn't forget Denny," Gordie said adamantly. "He was my best friend."

"I know, Gordo." Abby smiled softly at him, her blue eyes brightly magical. She had that Chambers magic. It brought a smile to his face.


	3. After School

After school, Abby followed Vern and Libby home. 

"I smell cookies," Abby said excitedly. "Vern's mommy's baking! I want cookies! VERN, can I have some cookies?"

Vern put his arm around Abby to calm her down. "Libby, do you want to come in?"

She smiled. "Cookies make my tummy feel happy."

Once they entered Vern's house, a woman's voice called, "Vern? Are you home?"

"No, it's Abby, I murdered your son. I'm here to replace him. Surprise!"

"Vern, I need you to strip the sheets on your bed and put new ones on, Grandma's coming and she gets your room," his mother called, ignoring Abby.

Grumbling profanity and such under his breath, Vern climbed the stairs and went into the kitchen to get Abby and Libby some cookies. "Mom!" he yelled. "This is Libby, she lives next door! Say hi!"

"Hi, Libby, your brother's here," Mrs. Tessio said in a rush. "Grandma's going to be here any minute, so go do what I asked, Vern. Nice to meet you, Libby."

"I am but chopped liver," Abby sighed. 

Vern looked sympathetically at Abby and Libby. "Sorry. I'd better start slaving. Jeannie! Come help me!"

"Stuck in the toilet again?" his nine-year-old sister shouted back.

"Shut up and come here!"

Vern's sister came up the stairs. "I was busy." She had a friend in tow.

"Your friend has to go home. You're helping your brother."

"Eww, that's my brother," Libby groaned. "How the hell did you manage to get someone to like you?"

Libby's brother cried, "You swore! I'm telling!"

She laughed and put an arm around his shoulder. "I love you, Jake."

"Don't touch me."

"Sorry," she said. "I forgot. No displays of affection in front of other people."

"Bye Libby. Bye Abby. Oh, Libby, do you want to meet at 7:00 tomorrow so we can walk to the bus together?"

"Right. SEVEN. Ha." Libby said goodbye to Vern's lovely family members and walked out the door. She asked Abby, "Want to visit the St. Peter family?"

Abby asked, "Do you have food?"

"We might have food."

"Then I would love to visit the St. Peter family."

Libby led Abby up to her room. So far she had some boxes in it and a mattress, along with her sister's stuff. 

"My sister is probably in here. She's sick." Libby pushed her door open. "How's my precious little ray of sunshine doing?"

"I'm dying," Tabitha groaned. She looked up and saw Abby, burying her face in her pillow. "And you bring someone in my room when I look like I've been run over by a garbage truck."

Abby laughed. "I was wondering what that smell was."

"Leave it to Libby to befriend another idiot."

Libby smiled. "Tabitha gets bitchy when she's sick."

"My sister's _always _bitchy. They can be friends!"

"Tabitha, are you coming to school tomorrow?" Libby asked. 

"If I'm not dead."

Libby flopped down on her mattress. Abby took a seat on the floor. "So what are the other Castle Rock people like?"

"The ones we ate with today?"

"No, I mean Vern's grandma."

Abby smiled. "Umm. Andie's my best friend. She's neat." She then laughed for awhile, causing Tabitha to groan. "Gordie is cute. I like him. But he's my brother's best friend and Chris is like 'No, you will stay away from the opposite sex.' And Vern's like...uh, well, he's Vern. Chris is my brother. He's nice and stuff. He's better than Delia anyway."

"Why?" Libby asked, laughing.

Abby paused, thinking for a moment. "She's evil. You've been warned. Let us see--whom am I forgetting… "

Libby waited for her to finish. When she didn't, she said, "What about Teddy?"

"Teddy's a jerk."

"You don't like him?"

Shrugging, Abby replied nonchalantly, "Chris and him used to be friends. And now, I don't know, Chris just seems to not like him anymore. And he's my big brother so I kinda trust him more than Teddy. Plus he's not so stable."

"He seemed nice. "

Abby shook her head. "Never mind." She continued, "He's not a bad person or anything." She got up and suggested, "Time to feed Abby!"

Tabitha groaned. "Get your sister some tomato juice and a bucket."

Libby collided with her brother Gage in the kitchen. "Dicksnacker."

"Don't touch the pizza in the fridge, it's mine."

Libby glared up at him, trying to be intimidating, which was hard with her 5 foot 4 and a half frame and his six foot one and a half frame. "Abby, help yourself to the pizza."

Abby clapped her hands. "Excellent! I was hankering for pepperoni."

"It's Hawaiian," Gage said, pouty.

"So now we're gonna get racist, huh?"

"Libby, your taste in friends never changes."

Libby didn't pay any attention to him as she poured a glass of tomato juice for Tabitha (careful not to let it touch her because it's corrosive), got the bucket their mom used for mopping the floor and then found some slices of pizza wrapped in Saran wrap. She handed them to Abby. Once they were back in her room, she handed Tabitha the tomato juice and dumped the bucket on the floor.

"Oh, could I use your phone?" Abby asked. 

"The phone in here isn't hooked up yet. Is the phone in Mom's room hooked up?" Libby asked Tabitha.

"Well it keeps on ringing. Or maybe that's my head." Tabitha took a sip of her drink and grimaced. "I wonder how long that'll stay down."

"Thanks so much for thinking out loud," Libby said. She took Abby's arm and led her to her mom's room. "There's the phone, have a blast. I have to pee." She left Abby to do her business and went down the hall to the bathroom to deal with hers. 

They both finished and met in the hallway. Abby explained, "My aunt said that I have to be home in a half hour because I've got chores." 

"You live with your aunt?"

"Yep, me, Delia, Chris and our little brother Todd. Our mom died two years ago…um--and my dad isn't fit to be a single parent."

"Neither is my dad. That's why we moved here."

"I'll have to leave in about 10 minutes," Abby said, changing the subject and going to Libby's room. "You know what? I feel privileged to be eating your brother's pizza. He was a fine piece of man specimen."

Tabitha gagged. "I think I'll be throwing up again."

"What? He was cute."

Jake came in the room. "Hello, ladies."

"Hey, Pookie," Libby said. "What do you want?"

"I was annoying Gage and he told me to come and annoy you so I thought that might become great fun and now I'm here. Tabitha, you dead yet?" he asked conversationally, sitting on the edge of her mattress.

Tabitha looked up at him. "If I said yes, would you go away?"

"Probably not."

Abby asked, "What grade are you in, Jake?"

"Four. I'm in Jeannie's class. Are you in Libby's grade?"

"Yep and I'll probably be in grade nine for the next thirty-eight years. Tabitha!"

She gurgled to show she was still alive. 

"Are you in grade 10?"

"Yes."

"That's good! All my other friends are in Grade 10. Except for Delia because she's the oldest and in grade 11 and whatnot, but I don't consider her a friend. They rest of them will adopt you quickly." She checked her watch. "I'd better start walking. Goodbye St. Peter family. See you in class tomorrow, Libby."


	4. 56 Minutes

[Author's Note: This may very well be my longest chapter ever:) And the most boring. I'm on a roll!]

6:45 PM

__

So much for family bonding, Teddy thought bitterly to himself. His mother had asked if he'd like to watch TV with him that evening for a change, and the loneliness in her aged eyes made him say yes. But all she did was watch the news. Sitting in the overstuffed chair that smelled like beer and cigarettes because it had been his dad's favourite, Teddy crossed his arms over his skinny chest and slumped in his seat. It had been an hour since they'd sat down together, and now she was snoring. Scowling, he got to his feet and debated putting the quilt his grandmother had made years ago over her, but her snoring was getting loud and frightening, so he went to the kitchen to find food.

6:53

"MOOOOOOM!!!!!!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Vernon Tessio, what are you doing to your little sister?" Mrs. Tessio demanded from the living room.

"_Nothing_, Mom," he insisted.

"Why is she screaming?"

"Because I'm teaching her to pray!"

"He is not!" Jeannie tried to holler, but Vern clamped his hand over her mouth and carried her down the stairs. Vern spirited his sister through the backdoor and forced her to stay low behind the fence. "Okay, I'm going to let go of you now, and if you make any noise or kick me or lick me or punch me or step on me, I'll spray you with the hose," he whispered. "Go do what we rehearsed and you'll get a quarter."

Jeannie glared at her older brother, her blue eyes bright with fury. With a huff, she spun on her heels, causing her play-dress to twirl around her knees in a sort of endearing defiance. Resentfully, she peered through a hole in the fence.

"Is she back there?" Vern whispered.

"I don't know. There's two," Jeannie called back. 

"The one with the reddy-blond hair," he hissed. "Is she there?"

"Yep." She tossed a grossed-out look over her shoulder. "You like _her?_"

"_Shh!_"

"Hahahahaha!" Jeannie cackled. 

"That's it, you little puke," Vern grumbled, and started to grab for the garden hose. 

"No!" Jeannie screamed, as if a pack of wild animals were after her. "No! Don't! Please! I'll do anything!"

"_Shh!" _he hissed. "That's not what you're supposed to do! Shhh!"

6:57

"Leaves, leaves, leaves," Jake sang cheerfully, keeping his older sisters company as they raked the leaves in their backyard. Little did they know that when they turned their backs, he ran through their piles so they were just raking the same leaves over and over.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Tabitha," Libby said. "I would not enjoy doing this on my own."

"If I'd known Mom would make me do yard work the moment I showed signs of improvement, I never would have admitted that I felt better," Tabitha grumbled. "So, any cute guys here?"

"Yep."

"Are you going to go into detail?"

"You'll have to see for yourself."

They heard hushed whispers coming from their new neighbours' yard. Tabitha and Libby held their rakes in mid-sweep, listening. 

"NOOOO!" a young girl screamed. 

"Oh my _God_," Tabitha muttered. "We moved next door to Norman Bates."

"No! Don't! Please! I'll do anything!"

More high-pitched squeals ensued, and then there was the sound of a squeaky tap being twisted, then water being sprayed. A gate swung open and pounding footsteps trampled down the back alley.

"Get back here!" a boy's voice yelled. "The hose doesn't reach that far!"

"I know!" a girl cried. 

Tabitha turned around and saw Jake playing in their leaf piles. "JAKE!" she yelled. "Never mind. You're lucky you're still cute." She jogged across their yard and pulled open the gate to see what was going on. 

As soon as she ventured out into the alley, a stream of water hit her, causing her to fly against the fence. She squealed, and when the guy with the hose ran over to her, she glared at him, ready to raise hell. Then she discovered that he was kinda cute, what with his big blue eyes and honest face. 

"I'm really sorry, I was aiming for my sister!" he exclaimed.

She sputtered and wiped her wet strawberry blond hair out of her face. "I'm sick." She could hear Libby and Jake laughing maniacally in the back yard.

"Are you? Oh jeez, I'm really sorry!" He tried to smile apologetically. "I'm Vern. I live next to you. Um, welcome to the neighbourhood?"

7:03

"Abigail, stop goofing off and finish the damn dishes!" 

Abby scowled and wiped the bubbles out of her hair. Sometimes she hated her Uncle Gregg. She wasn't hurting anything by playing with the bubbles so she didn't see why he cared. But, her uncle was only stern. He would never hurt any of them. 

When she'd lived with her parents, her dad had only hit the older kids. Chris had gotten it the worst because he was the boy, and he always tried to intervene when their dad attempted to beat anyone up besides him. While not as bad as her younger brother, Delia had also gotten it pretty bad. She had a way of pissing their father off. Aunt Marian had some sneaking suspicions that their father had abused her in more ways than one, but Delia denied refused to talk about him. There were also the two oldest Chambers brothers, Eyeball and Frank [AN: His name was Frank in the book, right? If it wasn't, I'm sorry, but I have the memory span of a flashbulb and I lent my book to a friend]. Eyeball had taken off sometime after their mom died, and they had yet to hear from him. Frank, the oldest, was still in jail. But they had gotten their shares of beatings when they'd lived at home.

Abby and the youngest brother, Todd, had escaped pretty much everything except for the verbal abuse. And Abby felt guilty, even now that they were all safe, because sometimes she would catch a glimpse of Chris' and Delia's scars and realized that they would always have to live with those memories and distant fear. 

Chris would be okay because he was strong, although he was too grown up and had seen too much for his age. But he was making a life for himself. Delia on the other hand, was growing up cynical and hateful. The only guys she trusted were Chris and Gordie, and Delia knew that Gordie couldn't really stand her. But it was hard to worry about Delia, no matter how much she was going through, because she was such a bitch sometimes. 

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Chris asked, getting an apple from the fridge. 

She looked up, startled out of her thoughts. A sudden wave of emotion hit her when she saw him. It was stupid, but just seeing him standing in the kitchen eating an apple, his hair freshly brushed and dressed in ironed clothes made her sad. He could be a normal teenage boy now, but he could never get rid of what he had gone through as a child. "Why?" she asked after a long pause.

"People don't usually look so contemplative when they do the dishes," he said. 

"It's when I do my best thinking," she said with a smile. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I was thinking about going to see Andie, yeah," he replied. 

"I like Andie," she giggled. 

"Me too." Chris grinned. "You can't come with me."

"Gross, I don't _want_ to, you get all gooey around her." Abby wrinkled her nose.

A look of disgusted confusion crossed over his face. "What do you mean by 'gooey'?"

7:10

Teddy changed his mind and returned to the living room, and spread the quilt over his mom and turned off the TV.

"Dammit Teddy," his mom muttered groggily. "I was watching that."

Shaking his head, he flipped the TV back on and went to see what the liquor cabin had in store for him.

7:13

Gordie finished his book. 

7:14

Delia got tired of her book.

7:15

Gordie decided to walk to the Confectionery Store to see if they had any new westerns.

7:16

Delia decided that she wanted a hot dog. So she went to search out the ever-evasive hot dog vendor.

7:27

Delia and Gordie crossed paths, smiled at each other and continued walking in opposite directions. Then Gordie turned back and called, "Hey, Delia?"

She whirled around, a little too quickly and eagerly, considering her usual languid apathy. "Yeah?"

"Are Chris and Abby at home?"

Her smile disappeared in an instant. "No."

7:31

"I have paying customers," Andie told Chris, with a reluctant smile. 

Sitting on his stool, Chris was the same height at her, and he leaned over to kiss her nose. "Take a break."

"Chris," she whined. "Don't be adorable. It's distracting."

"Andie, are you going to get Table 5?" her father, who owned the family restaurant, called to her. 

Grinning, Chris sang teasingly and quietly, "I looove you."

Sighing, Andie called back to her dad, "I'm taking my break early, okay Dad?"

Before he could reply, they slipped out the side exit. 

7:38

Walking through the front door, Delia discovered her sister playing cards with Aunt Marian at the kitchen table. 

"Hi Delia," Aunt Marian said cheerfully. She was on a perpetual mission to reach out to the older sister, but all of her efforts were in vain. "Do you want me to deal you in?"

"No thanks, I don't like cards," Delia replied, and then asked, "Can I have a glass of apple juice?"

"Of course, you know you don't have to ask every time."

"Okay." Pouring herself a glass, she looked over at Abby. "I saw Gordie."

"What was he doing?" Abby asked.

"I don't know. I didn't ask."

"Did you say hi?"

"I smiled."

7:41

"Andie!" Mr. Weiss yelled from inside. "Your break is over!"

"I should really be getting back to work," Andie said, even though the last thing she wanted was to have Chris stop kissing her.

He sighed. "If I didn't enjoy how good you look in your waitress uniform, I would advise you to quit that job."

"I can't," she said. "That would be like quitting the family. Besides, I get too much free food. And so do you."

He smiled. "Yes. I like food. But I hardly get to see you."

"Well I'll ask for more time off then," she promised. "Starting next week. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. 

"Andie!"

Andie grimaced upon hearing her father's angry voice, and pulled open the door.

Walking backward away from her, Chris said, "I love you, Andie."

She nodded. "I have to go."


	5. Teddy

The next morning, Libby and Tabitha met Vern and walked to the bus stop together. They boarded it when it screeched to a halt minutes later and sat with Andie, Abby, Delia, Gordie and Chris. Chris saw Tabitha and asked, "Is this your mentally ill sister?"

Tabitha glared evilly at her sister. "I don't even want to know what you've been telling people about me."

Andie asked, craning her neck to look out the window, "Where's Teddy? He's not at his stop yet." 

"Don't worry about it, Andie," Chris assured her. "He's probably just running late this morning."

"Well, he'd better hurry up," she said.

"Andie, you're not his babysitter."

"I know," she said defensively. 

She finally spotted Teddy running across the parking lot where his stop was. When the driver eased open the door for him, he bounded up the stairs and made his way to sit with them. 

"Hi, Teddy," Abby said cheerfully. "We were just talking about you. Horrible things."

"Shut up, Abby," Teddy sighed. "I have a headache." He _looked _like he had a headache. His eyes were red, his face was white and his hair was sticking up everywhere.

"Man, it's TUESDAY," Chris chided. "You're supposed to get all the partying out of your system on the weekend."

"Up yours, Chambers," he snapped.

"Guys, don't be stupid," Andie said.

Delia smiled. "They were providing me entertainment."

"How often do you need to reminded that no one wants to hear you?" Abby asked her older sister.

"At least I don't need to be reminded that it's unsanitary to wear the same pair of underwear for a month at a time."

Andie sighed. "We're making a nice impression on Tabitha and Libby."

Abby shot back at Delia, "At least I don't steal unsuspecting boys' virginity and say I'm just going to borrow it for a minute."

"Screw you, Abby," Delia snapped.

Chris said, "Enough, Abb."

Abby pouted for a few minutes. Then she smiled and announced, "I win."

Teddy was trying to read a paperback while the sisters bickered. But as Libby watched him, she saw his eyes were reading the same line over and over and he hadn't turned the page in ten minutes. "What are you reading?" she asked. 

"I don't know," he replied. "The letters aren't forming into words in my mind."

"No, the book. What's it called?" she questioned, smiling gently.

"Oh. Um, Animal Farm. I have a test on the last two chapters and I don't even remember how the beginning went."

She nodded. "The animals win. I think the big pig dies. Just say 'all animals are made equal but some are more equal' and you'll get big points for that."

Teddy smiled weakly at her. "Thanks. Have you read this?"

"No. I bought the chapter summaries from a bookstore for only ninety-five cents though."

He laughed, then winced. 

She looked at him sympathetically. "You know what's good for hangovers? Milkshakes."

Smiling, Teddy said jokingly, "Where have you been all my life?"

"Up north."

"You're a Canadian." 

"Yeah, and you're American but I won't hold that against you." She grinned. [Author's Note: I'm SORRY, I have Canadian PRIDE dammit!]

Suddenly stopping as a duck crossed the road without looking both ways, the bus lurched and so did Teddy's tummy. He put a hand over his mouth and went even paler. Vern squawked, "Do not throw up on me!"

Abby said brightly, "I hope you've learned your lesson."

"Right," Andie agreed. "Stop drinking."

Gordie shook his head. "Nah, just don't come to school when you're hung over."

Teddy just glared. "Shut up," he managed to say in a strained voice. "I'm trying not to ralph all over our new friends and I don't concentrate when you keep talking."

Delia glanced at him. "You think he'd learn."

"Don't bug him, Delia," Andie said. 

"I've learned what square roots are," Teddy told Delia. "But it doesn't mean I apply it to my life."

"You're as dumb as you look," she snapped.

"Yeah, funny thing is, you don't look as great on the inside as you do on the outside."

When they were getting off the bus, Libby muttered in Abby's ear, "Looks to me like you've all given up on Teddy too much to find out who he is."

Abby's eyebrows raised and she peered at her, and Libby just gave her a knowing look.


	6. Andie and Chris

"Hi, Tabitha," Andie said with a perfect smile as she passed the new girl on her way to her desk in Art class. "Why don't you sit back here?"

Feeling a little better about the whole starting-at-a-new-school thing, Tabitha picked up her binder and took the empty seat beside Andie at the back of the room. "Andie, right?"

Nodding, she opened her binder to a clean page. "Yep. Are you finding your way around here alright?"

Scoffing, Tabitha grinned. "Considering there's like two hallways, yes, I'm doing remarkably well."

"You scoff at my school?"

"I scoff at your school."

"Yeah, I scoff too." As Mr. Strickland walked into the room with a coffee mug in his hand and a pencil behind his ear, Andie whispered, "Mr. Strickland is nuts."

Watching as he walked to the chalkboard, put the pencil down on the ledge and put a piece of chalk behind his ear in place of the pencil, Tabitha nodded appreciatively. "Yeah, I'm thinking nuts is a safe bet."

"Vern, can you point out an object in this room that's 3-Dimensional?" Mr. Strickland asked.

"Um..." Vern paused, probably wondering why he signed up for this class. "Um, you?"

Tabitha snickered gleefully. Andie glanced over at her in confusion. "You find Vern Tessio funny, do you?"

"I find Vern Tessio to be many things," she giggled quietly. 

"Well, you're the first."

Libby spun around in her seat when she felt someone pat her repeatedly on her head. "Stop that now, please."

Tabitha smiled with strained innocence. "Um, yes. I'm getting off here, so tell Mom that I'm going to Andie's house and I'll be back sometime today."

"That's very vague, I hope you have fun," Libby replied, turning around in her seat again, but she watched with abandonment as Gordie and Abby left with Tabitha and Andie. At the next stop, Vern got off the bus with Teddy.

Two seats behind her, Chris sighed. "So, Libby."

"Chris."

"It seems you and I are the only ones without lives."

"Hey, I'm still here too," Delia piped up.

"We're trying to forget," he teased, and then looked at Libby expectantly. "Do you want to come over or something?"

She shrugged. "That would beat the hell out of going home to my mom and my brothers."

He looked at her, his eyes comical. "So you're going to?"

"That's right," she said.

They got to the Chambers' house. Chris opened the door and said, "After you." She stepped inside and welcomed by the smell of cookies that smelled even better than Vern's cookies. 

"Hi Aunt Marian," Chris said, approaching his aunt. "I've kidnapped one of the daughters from the family that just moved here."

Chris' aunt turned around and took off her oven mitts. She put out a hand and shook Libby's. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Marian."

"Libby," she said back, smiling. 

"How long have you been in Castle Rock for?"

"Since last Wednesday."

"Do you like it here so far?"

She nodded. "It's pretty and quiet. And the people here are welcoming. I come from a big city so no one knows each other or even makes eye contact with each other. Whereas here, everyone's friendly. It was rather creepy at first."

Smiling kindly, her eyes crinkled in the corners, Marian said, "I'm glad you like it."

Chris took Libby by the arm and led her back upstairs. "Quick, before she brings out the naked baby pictures!" He laughed and hurried down the hall. He closed the door behind him and breathed, "Whew, that was a close one."

She smiled up at him and laughed. "You're a big silly nutball."

"You look like a lawn gnome. What's your point, you freak?"

"I have no point. "She plopped down on his bed and asked, "So…what are your plans for this weekend?"

"I don't know. There's a football game. There will probably be a party or something after that I'll go to with Andie." He considered for a moment. "Teddy told me that I should ask if you want to go to the game with him."

She looked indecisive. "Maybe. I don't know."

"Teddy's okay, but I don't know how much you would want to be…his girlfriend or anything."

"Abby told me you didn't like him."

"I like him just fine."

"I'm going to give him a chance." She looked up at him. "I'm not into the whole drinking thing."

"You think Teddy is?"

"Who'd he get drunk with last night?" she asked, appraisingly. He didn't answer. "Thought so."

"I worry about that sometimes."

"I'll worry when I know more," she said, then waved her hand dismissively. "Meh!"

There was a knock on his door. Chris' aunt poked her head in. "Hi. Hope I'm not interrupting anything. I'll just leave these here." She set a plate of cookies down on his desk, then closed the door.

"Aww!" Libby cried. "Your aunt's so cute!"

Chris looked up at her and gave her a lopsided grin. "Her cookies kick ass. Try one." He walked over and got a cookie for her.

She bit into it and a content smile drifted over her face. "Mm…" she moaned. "What bliss, what ecstasy."

"I know!" he exclaimed. "And she's my AUNT! I get food like this every night!"

Giggling, Libby got herself another cookie.

A few hours later, as Libby helped Chris with his essay for English, a clock chimed somewhere in the house. Libby gazed over at Chris' alarm clock. "Oh, crap," she said. 

"What?" he asked distractedly, finishing the line he was writing.

"It's 7 freaking 30. My mommy's gonna be pissed!" She paused to think. "Oh crap!"

He turned to look at her, amused. "Now what?"

"I was supposed to tell her that Tabitha was at Andie's, so now Tabitha's gonna be in trouble!"

"What a pickle you're in," Chris said. "Come on, I'll walk you home." They trampled down the stairs, laughing as Chris tripped and sprawled into Libby, ramming her into the railing.

A gruff looking man was taking off his shoes in the doorway. He looked sternly at them. 

Chris grabbed his jacket, ignoring the man Libby assumed was his uncle and yelled, "I'll be back in 10 minutes, Aunt Marian!"

"Bye!" Libby called. 

"Tell your mom I want to meet her!" Marian said from the kitchen. "Chris, hurry up, supper's almost ready."

Chris poked Libby on the nose. "Ha. And _I _get to eat it. She cooks food good."

"I'll get something microwaved or something," Libby giggled as Chris pulled her out the door.

Chris walked her home. Before she left, he said, "Wait, I smuggled something for you."

"Nothing illegal, I hope."

He pulled a cookie form his jacket pocket. "It's a little broken but it's all the same to your tummy."

She smiled, kinda feeling oddly touched. "Why thank you."

"Meh. You kept me company. It's a small price to pay."

"I aim to please. Goodnight Chris." She gave him one last smile and jogged up her driveway.

Chris waited until she was inside before he walked away. 


	7. Cookies

[Author's Note: I accidentally broke my computer. So I'm getting my friend Veronica (yaaaay Vern to the rescue *round of applause*) to upload chapters and stuff for me since I can't go on the Internet now. So I'll email you from school during keyboarding, Erin:)]

"Mom, I'm sorry!" Libby screamed when she walked in the house. "Please let me plead my case before you kill me!"

Gage shouted from the living room over the racket of the TV, "Relax, she's not home. She's still at the office."

"Oh, thank you, _God._" She called, "Tabitha's at Andie's just so you know and you can stop worrying."

Gage cried, "Andie Weiss?"

Libby came into the living room and sprawled out on the couch, stretching her legs out so her feet were in his face. "Yes," she said patiently. "Why? How do you know her?"

"She's hot." He batted at her feet with his hands. "Ewww, get them away from me! They're too close! Keep them away!"

"So were you lonely today?" she asked. 

"Just me and my boy Pookie. The way it should've been. You two were mistakes." He sighed. "Then Jake went over to the next door kid's house and left me alone and I've been watching I Love Lucy."

"Poor thing. You should get a job."

Gage asked, "And where were you?"

"Having sex with boys I don't know in the middle of the football field."

"What else did you do?"

"I went over to a person's house," she said, just as Tabitha came up behind her. 

"Chris Chambers'!" Tabitha cried.

"How did you know that?"

Tabitha shrugged. "Schmuh, I don't know, I just know everything you do."

Libby peered up at her. 

Tabitha shrugged again. "Abby told me. What exactly did you to do?"

"Absolutely nothing," Libby giggled. 

"LIAR! Tell me!"

"His mom makes excellent cookies!" Libby yelled. 

Tabitha took a running leap and landed on Libby, kicking Gage in the head by accident. "I know you! Your face is all happy! 

"Howl," Gage complained, rubbing his kicked head. 

"Tell me what happened!" Tabitha yelled at Libby. 

"I fell in LOVE!" Libby cried, throwing her arms around her sister. 

"Gross, with Chris? He has a girlfriend!"

"No, the cookies," she said. "Those are pretty terrific cookies."

"Must be," Tabitha said, looking at her strangely. "Must be _some _cookies."

"Cookies, blast it all!"

Tabitha smiled curiously. "Yes, Libby. Cookies. Right. Ha ha."

"I hate you and I want you to go away."

"You _hate _me?"

She giggled. "No, I don't. But your knee is digging into my pelvic bone. I might kill you soon."

Tabitha moved so she was sitting on Libby's legs. "Now you've made me curious, you little brat."

Cackling, Libby said, "I do my job as a sister very well."

"If you were a good sister, you'd tell me what exactly happened at Chris'."

"But I'm a _bad _sister."

"Oh right. Lest I forget."

"Teddy Duchamp asked me out via Chris."

"WHAT?" she exclaimed. "Already?"

"What can I say, I'm very sexy."

"You most certainly are NOT," Gage said.


	8. teddy and men's underwear

"What are we buying myself?" Jake asked as he tagged along behind Libby at the Wheatland Shopping Centre--which contained exactly five stores: a drugstore, a grocery store, two clothing stores and a bookshop. It certainly was the place to be. 

"We're not buying you anything," Libby told him. "We're buying Gage a birthday present."

"Good luck!" Jake scoffed. "Maybe you could get him a block of cheese. Wait a minute, when's Gage's birthday?"

"Next Tuesday." Momentarily she considered the cheese idea but decided against it. Perhaps she would get him a package of three pairs of underwear. Gage was always complaining how he never had any clean underwear so that was perfect. She grinned. "Where can you buy underwear?"

"Umm…Libby," Jake began. "Underwear may not be the best idea--oh what am I saying, it's GAGE."

Feeling somewhat out of place in the men's section of the clothes store that wasn't for old people, Libby sifted through the packages of underwear and wondered what size her older brother was. "Jake, how tall is Gage?"

"Why does that matter?" he asked, dancing with a blouse.

"Well, usually, when a guy is tall, he has big feet, and the bigger feet he has…" Jake stared at her expectantly. "Um, the longer the shoelaces you need."

"You are weird, Libby," Jake muttered, and hung the blouse back up. He spied a summer dress he liked and began to dance with it.

"I never pictured you as the men's underwear-wearing type of girl," Teddy said, approaching her with a grin that made you wonder what he was thinking. 

"I'm buying some for my brother's birthday."

"He wants underwear for his birthday?"

"I don't know. Libby shrugged. "But he _needs_ some. I think he must have burned holes through all of his own."

Cackling, Teddy gave her a comical look. "I don't want to know how he did that. Okay Libby, put the gonch down and lets go find something else."

Sadly, she read the package. "But it says 100% cotton!" 

Jake was finished dancing and he came over to Teddy and Libby. "Ahhh," he breathed, with a satisfied smile. "Cotton--the fabric of our lives."

Teddy stared at him. 

Libby took hold of both of their arms and led them away. "Teddy, this is my little brother Jake. Don't pay too much attention to him. He strives to baffle people and he does a very good job at it."

"Why hello, _Teddy_," Jake said with an evil grin. "Would you like to see what I have in my _pocket_?"

"Say no!" Libby cried. 

"Uh, I'm good, thanks," Teddy said, looking over at Libby and smiling. 

"Holy crap, they have a bookstore which means they have Hardy Boys books which means I am happy!" Jake exclaimed. "I'm leaving, find me later please!"

Watching him dodge a lady pushing a stroller and duck into Readers' BookShop, Libby smiled fondly. "He's crazy."

Teddy nodded. "Yeah. He'll fit right in here in this town."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing." He looked at her. "Do you want to go to the cafeteria and get something to eat?"

"There's a _cafeteria_?" she demanded. "I _love_ cafeterias! They have food!"

"Most of it's gross, but they make a hell of a good vanilla milkshake." 

Once they were both sipping at their milkshakes and seated at a corner table, Teddy cleared his throat and fiddled with the ends of his napkin. "So, you're gonna be here awhile?"

Giggling, she nodded. "Yep. I kinda live here now."

"Do you like football?"

"I broke my pinkie playing football once with the kids in my neighbourhood when I was twelve," she said proudly, holding out her crooked finger for him to see. "I was running because I had the ball right, but this big guy who was like eight-hundred pounds came barreling at me like a freaking train and I got scared and tried to jump the fence. My finger got stuck in one of the boards but the rest of me kept going. It never quite healed properly. It was pretty cool." 

Teddy was grinning, intrigued. "Shit, yeah!"

"So, sure, I like football."

"Very cool," he said. "There's a game Friday night. Do you want to go with me? Everyone else will be there too, but…you could be there with me."

For a moment, she studied the way his sandy hair seemed to do whatever it wanted to do, and his thick glasses were cute and added to his personality. She nodded. "Sure. I'd like to be there with you."


	9. the game

On Friday, all of the Castle Rock kids went to the mall and split into two groups, the guys and the girls.

"Chris is an idiot," Andie grumbled once they were out of earshot.

Abby sighed. "Now what happened?"

Andie continued to grumble, and was about to launch into a huge spiel, but got interrupted.

Delia cut in, "Andie, get a psychiatrist to listen to your problems so we don't have to."

"Excuse me for talking while you're interrupting, Delia," she snapped. 

"You're bad mouthing the guy you broke Teddy's heart over," she said calmly. "Make up your mind."

"You broke Teddy?" Libby shrilled. 

Rolling her eyes, Tabitha sighed, "Here we go again. Will you people ever learn not to mention Teddy around her?"

"Yeah, what is it with you and him? If we mention Teddy's name, you're all 'Huh? Where's Teddy?'" Andie said. 

Abby joined in, "Yeah, I was like, 'I helped my uncle rake the leaves' and you're like 'What about Teddy in leaves?'" She gave her a funny look. "Teddy is icky. You're not allowed to like him."

Libby shrugged. "Leave me be. I'm _interested_, I'm not getting married."

"Maybe Teddy needs someone," Andie murmured thoughtfully. "I mean, he's kinda having a rough time. He might need someone to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. He is pretty lonely."

"Hey, I'm not going to be his nanny and keep him out of trouble," Libby said sharply. "You're making assumptions, YOU DAMN IDIOTS." A man looked at her strangely and she smiled innocently. "Damn idiots," she said, pointing to her friends.

At the game, Abby said of the cheerleaders, "They're all fat. Their pyramid looks like one giant oddly shaped marshmallow."

"Very kind, Abby," Gordie said. 

The cheerleaders were busy trying to cheer _go team_ but they spelled _go meat_. Delia snickered. "I see their spelling has improved." 

Libby wondered, "Why do they keep stopping? They run, a ball flies, someone catches it, they go crunch and boom and stuff and then they stop and do it all over again."

Chris said, "We're playing football here, Libby, not hopscotch."

Skeptically, she looked up at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I don't know," he said. "That's the beauty of football."

"You should be on medication."

"Yeah, well, you're about an inch shorter every time I see you."

"Stop talking, Chris," she sighed. "My head is spinning enough as it is."

"Was it that damn hot dog?"

"I think so. I think it was an evil hotdog with evil motives and I'm not feeling so hot."

"That damn hot dog." He shuddered violently and then grinned. "Ooh, I think I've had a few too many Jolly Ranchers."

Tabitha was bouncing. 

"Tabitha?" Andie asked. "You okay?"

"Hello no." She cracked up. "I didn't MEAN to say HELLO NO, but that's what I said anyway. Hell no. I've had a lot of sugar, you see."

"Your sister is insane," Teddy whispered in Libby's ear.

"No kidding." She smiled up at him. "I'm adopted. That's what I tell myself anyway."

"Are you having fun?" he asked. 

"Yep." She shivered. "Kinda chilly though."

Teddy brought his arms around her waist from behind and put his hands in the pockets of her coat to keep both of them warm.

"Um, excuse me, Princess, that's my ass!" Tabitha barked at Delia. "Oh, sorry. I touched _myself._"

Delia shook her head. "I could be at home right now…What is wrong with you people?"

Vern spoke up, "I haven't said a word so screw off, Delia."

"Oh, we are losing miserably," Andie sighed. 

And they lost miserably. Out in the parking lot, everyone milled around, making fun of the embarrassed looking football players. Abby was making fun of the cheerleaders.

"Duchamp!" a tall guy with slicked back hair yelled. "See you tonight?"

"Yeah, probably," Teddy shouted back. "Libby, are you coming with me?"

"Uhh…Tabitha, what are you doing?" she asked. 

"Going to rehab for my sugar addiction."

"No, before that."

"I'm going with Andie."

"Ah. Okay then." She glanced up at Teddy. 

He said, "We could just stop and say hi to Ben and then go to Andie's."

"Lead the way."


	10. the party

"Not too long, okay?" Libby said as Teddy parked in front of Ben Devore's house on the outskirts of Castle Rock. It was already pulsating with loud music. "And no drinking. Sorry to be all tyrannical and stuff, but I don't want to be around someone who's drinking."

He shook his head. "No problem." He got out and shut Libby's door after she'd gotten out. They walked through the front door and immediately got ambushed by a bunch of guys. 

"I didn't think you'd make it," Ben said, handing Teddy a drink. He finally looked at Libby critically. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Libby," Teddy said. "Don't bug her, she's _my _date."

"I wasn't going to. We'll make her feel right at home. You want something to drink, Libby?"

She looked up at Teddy with contempt, quietly murmuring, "We're not staying long, actually."

Ben waved his hand dismissively. "Sit down, stay awhile!"

Libby turned to Teddy expectantly. Teddy shrugged. "Wouldn't hurt to stay for a few minutes."

They moved further into the house. Libby grabbed Teddy's arm when she found herself getting separated from him in the crowd. 

"Ahahaha, there you are," Teddy giggled, once the reached the kitchen. They found the keg resting on a pile of slushy ice. Much to his dismay, Kennedy Griere's lips were wrapped around the tap and a bunch of people were standing around, counting. She broke away at twenty. She stood up a little dizzily, spotting Teddy and moved over to him. "Decided to join us lowlifes huh? Nice to see you've torn yourself away from your clique."

"It's not a clique, they're just my friends," he said, but not very defensively.

"Of course not. My mistake." She gestured to the keg. "Have a go?" she asked coyly. 

"Sure," he said, ignoring Libby's glare. She had been in Castle Rock for a week and a half and she'd already picked up on the fact that Kennedy was the whole state of Oregon's notorious slut.

Teddy came sputtering about at 32. He laughed and attempted to stagger to his feet but his head hit the counter. This just made him laugh harder. The kitchen began to empty as people lost interest. Kennedy put an arm through his. "Fun little buzz, isn't it?"

"Shit, yeah."

Libby glanced reproachfully at Kennedy as she stepped in front of Teddy, pleading softly, "Can we go now?"

"Pretty quick, Libby," he assured her. 

"I talked to you about the drinking, remember?"

Kennedy smirked. "Who's got you whipped now, Teddy? First it was Andie, then it was Delia, now who?"

Ignoring her, Teddy looked at Libby with something in his sweet eyes that was unfamiliar. He said, "Don't condescend to me."

"I'm not condescending; you promised," Libby said, almost pleadingly.

He giggled, "Maybe my fingers were crossed."

"Whatever. Just give me your keys."

He said protectively, "Get your own damn keys." 

"You can't drive, Teddy."

"Where would you take these keys?"

"I'm going for a walk, considering I'm stuck here until you _grow up_."

"Ooh," Kennedy laughed mockingly, stretching her arms languidly around Teddy's waist. "A feisty one."

"That's what I like about her," he said. 

Slowly, Kennedy looked at Libby. "I thought you were leaving." She sighed and dug in Teddy's back pocket and retrieved his keys, tossing them to her. "Here."

Without a glance at either of them, Libby tried to keep her composure as she headed for the door. Ben saw about to leave and draped an arm over her shoulders. "Leaving?"

"As sad as that might make you feel, yes."

"Without Teddy?"

Libby scowled and jerked a thumb in the direction of the kitchen. "He's busy with the happy little hooker back there."

Ben shouted, "Teddy's getting lucky tonight!" He reconsidered. "Sorry, honey."

She smiled. "Not as sorry as he's going to be."

He gasped. "Are you going to chop off his balls with a blunt butter knife?"

"No…" she said, looking at him carefully with a cautious grin. "I was referring to the fact that I was five feet away from her and I was worried about catching a disease. Poor Teddy. Bye Ben." She quickly maneuvered around a group of people coming in the house.

"Son of a bitch," Libby grumbled as the late November night air chilled her bare arms at about four in the morning. "Should have taken that bastard's jacket too."

She sat inside Teddy's beat-up piece of crap truck, wondering how she'd gotten into this mess. Her mother was probably worried sick. Desperately she wished that she'd just stayed with her sister. Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized how badly she wished Tabitha were with her. 

Approximately at five o' clock, Ben led Teddy outside, mumbling, "Maybe if I leave you on my doorstep, the mailman will adopt you."

Approaching them, Libby said, "Probably not. He'll probably trip over Teddy's stupid ass and break his neck." She laughed at the mental image this created in her mind. 

"You taking him home?" Ben asked. "He can't stay here. My parents are coming home at 8. Plus I'm a little on the tipsy side myself so I can't get him home."

"Yeah, I'm taking him home," she sighed. "Will you phone a taxi for me?"

Once the cab reached Teddy's house she was even more pissed off. Now she had to somehow get him in his house without breaking her back or making a lot of noise. 

"You're going to feel pretty in the morning," she said, struggling to keep him standing upright. 

"He's got chronic hangover syndrome, he'll be fine," a male voice said from behind her. 

Libby jumped and spun around. 

"Relax, it's me," Chris said. 

Gesturing to his canvas bag, Libby asked, "Aren't you a little too old to be a paperboy?"

"Yes. I should have won the lottery and gotten rich years ago. Do you need help with Teddy?"

She nodded. "Thanks very much so."


	11. good puke

The next afternoon as Libby ate lunch with her brothers and sister, there was a knock at the door. Jake got up, almost knocking his plate over. Libby shot out a hand to steady it. "Careful," she snapped. He left to get the door.

Jake came back with Teddy walking behind him. 

Libby said, "I'm not home." She set down her fork and rose to her feet.

Mrs. St. Peter, who was washing dishes, "Libby, don't be rude. Are you Teddy?"

"Unfortunately," Libby muttered. 

"Ha ha," Gage laughed. "Libby's being moody."

"I just wanted to talk to you about last night," Teddy murmured.

Tabitha gagged on her food. "Gross! You two are not supposed to do that! You hardly know each other! Wrongness!" She struggled to swallow her sandwich. "AUGH! Gross! Naked Teddy…no! Happy bunnies! Must fight the images…Rainbows and giggles and ribbons and lubricants and naked sister--NOOO!"

Libby glared at Tabitha. She walked around the table, gesturing for Teddy to follow her outside. 

"I'm sorry, Libby," Teddy began when they were sitting on the porch swing. 

She muttered, "That's a good start."

"Thank you."

"You make me want to throw up."

Teddy stared at her. "I make you sick?"

She shrugged. "It's a good puke, not a bad puke."

"Interesting."

"I wasn't going to leave you there." She looked away and cleared her throat. "What did you do last night?"

"Had a few drinks with Kennedy…"

"A few?" she demanded. "Do you even know how you got home last night?"

"You brought me…probably called a cab, I would imagine…"

"How do you suppose I got you into your house? Gave you a piggyback? Chris had to help me lug you inside. Then we sat in your bathroom with you while you threw up for a half an hour but you probably don't remember that."

"No, I don't."

"I know a lot of people got wasted last night, Teddy, not just you. But the fact that you get drunk by yourself worries me." She looked up at him. "In thirty seconds you totally changed."

Teddy groaned, frustrated. "I told you not to worry."

"You also _told _me you'd bring me home when I felt uncomfortable!" she yelled. "And I told you that I didn't want to go somewhere that was going to have all that shit there. I told you that I didn't want to stay for very long. I was out till six babysitting you!"

"Since when are you my mom?" he demanded.

"When are you going to start taking care of yourself?" she shot back. "You have a problem, Teddy and you need to deal with it."

"I don't need this from you Libby," he growled. 

"You need to hear it from someone!" she cried. "Everyone knows, it's not a secret!"

"I have a lot of shit going through my mind, Libby. No one's ever attempted to listen or talk to me about what's going on in my life, I just do it for a release--"

"I don't want your fucking reasons!" she snapped. "No one ever listens to you, no one ever talks to you, that's bullshit! You're full of bullshit, Teddy."

"You've been here for a week! Don't start making judgements, because you don't know anything!"

"No wonder your friends have given up on you," she growled. "You really are an asshole."

"And you're a bitch. Good luck fitting in." Teddy shook his head and sauntered down the porch steps. 


	12. Delia versus Libby and then some more un...

Abby and Libby were sitting in the Chambers' kitchen, later that day, absentmindedly tossing a bruised apple back and forth.

Delia entered the premises, looking flawless as usual in cut off denim shorts and a sweatshirt two sizes too large for her. 

"Delia, I'm surprised to see you in the daytime. Aren't you concerned about the whole turning into a pile of ashes thing?" Abby asked cheerfully. 

"How droll, Abby," she muttered. 

"Hi Delia," Libby called. 

"Hi. How was your night?"

"Warning! Warning!" Abby cried. "Delia's making small talk!"

"My night was fine," Libby replied, looking between the sisters as they glared at each other. 

Raising her eyebrows skeptically, Delia said, "Right. You went to a party with Teddy. You look like crap. I'm sorry but you don't seem like the type to find what Teddy probably had in mind to be a good time."

Confused, Abby studied the two of them. Delia's eyes were cold and superior, while Libby's were thoughtful yet burning. "Delia, you amaze me with your ability to make people hate you."

Libby shrugged. "I was upset and I got thrown up on. But it's fine."

"Oh, did he apologize?" Delia asked mockingly. "He'll never screw you over again if he apologized."

"Shut up Delia," Abby snapped.

"I know him, Libby," she said in her obnoxiously calm, confident tone. "You've known him for a week. Don't think you can change him. You don't know him."

"You think you have him figured out? Maybe you should stop assuming things about him. He's got a problem, not some incurable disease."

"You can't just waltz in here and talk like you know everything because you come from a big city," Delia told her. 

"Why are you so irritable about Teddy, Delia?" Libby asked, her voice deliberately but uncharacteristically cruel. "Are you the reason why he started drinking?"

Delia's dark eyes flamed. "Go screw yourself." She whirled around and went back upstairs.

"Oh dear," Abby said. "She's going to make a voodoo doll of you and stick pins in it and you'll wake up one morning and be totally deformed. She's a witch, you know."

Libby stared at the staircase, which Delia had stormed up. "Your sister is a bitch. But I shouldn't have said what I did…that was awful of me."

"It's just Delia, she's incapable of having feelings. She's like an android." She stood up. "Come on, let's go to my room and play really loud music to piss her off." They heard heavy footsteps descending down the stairs. "PISS OFF!" she yelled, and then saw it was Chris. "Hello Christopher. How may I pleasure you?"

"I was hoping Andie was already here. I just phoned her because I was bored but she's not home." Chris thought for a moment about what his sister had said. "Pleasure me? Tempting, but no, Abby."

"Well, Andie's not here, but I'm glad you're somewhat happy to see me."

"Where is she?"

Abby threw her hands up in the air. "What am I, her social calendar? I don't know! Get a leash!"

"Hey, did you make Delia mad? She stormed past me and didn't even say good morning. I was offended at first, but then I figured you must have done it."

"Yeah," she said with a faint smile. "You should have been here. I'm bored. Ooh, I know! Let's go find Andie and play with HER!"

Chris sighed. "If I knew where she was, I'd be playing with her, but I'm standing here with you. Your intelligence is incredible, Abby."

"Let's go find her," Libby suggested, going to the door. Being in the same house as Delia made her feel uncomfortable and guilty. 

After walking around in search of Andie, they found nothing except a dollar bill in the gutter. They decided to walk back to Libby's house because Abby wanted to see Gage again. 

Passing the Duchamp house, they saw Andie walk out the door. They met eyes and Andie blushed. 

Abby shouted, "I was beginning to think you'd run off and joined a convent!"

"You better not be becoming a nun!" Chris said. "I have problems with the whole chastity thing as it is!"

Andie hurried down the front steps. "Hi…where are you headed?"

"Wherever she lives," Chris said, pointing to Libby. "What were you doing at Teddy's?"

Shrugging, she replied, "I figured he'd be hung over, so I brought him some…stuff. Like soup!"

"Did he like your soup?" Libby asked. 

"I didn't stick around," Andie said quickly. 

"Alright. Well. Do you want to come with us?" Chris asked. 

"No thanks," she said apologetically. 

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked, thinking now might be a good time for them to be alone.

Andie shook her head. "No, I'd better go. I should really help my parents at the restaurant."

They all stared at her retreating form. "That was odd," Libby commented. "I didn't know her and Teddy were friends."

"Uh, well, they used to date," Abby said. "Which, sadly, doesn't say a whole lot for Andie's taste in guys."

"Hey, Andie's taste in guys includes me!" Chris said defensively. 

"Yes, thus proving my point." She grinned up at him lovingly. 

Up in Libby's room later, Abby asked eagerly, "Guess what day it is!"

"November!" Libby guessed.

"Well, you're awfully dense, aren't you?" Chris said, smiling. 

"Right. Anyway. It's Five Days Before Thanksgiving!"

"I can hardly restrain myself," Chris said.

"I already HAD Thanksgiving! I'm still trying to digest THAT!" Libby cried. "You damn Yankees!"

Tabitha burst into the room, growling, "Alright, you little dip shit, what did you do with my underwear?" She froze when she saw Abby and Chris in the room as well. "Umm…rather…"

Chris smiled brightly at her. "Tabitha! Come in, tell me about life!"

"I think my sister kidnapped the contents of my unmentionables drawer," she said, a blush spreading across her face. 

Libby grinned. "Whoever this sister is you speak of, she most certainly did not throw any unmentionables out the window. This I know."

"LIBBY!" Tabitha shrieked, running to their window and looking down. "There's nothing there."

"I didn't say WHICH window I didn't throw anything out of," she said coolly. 

Three minutes later, Tabitha came back, looking upset. 

Libby shrugged. "I SAID I didn't throw it out the window."

Before Tabitha could attack, Mrs. St. Peter poked her head in the room, looking evil. "Where is your brother?"

"The little one or the big one?" Tabitha asked.

"Big messy one," she replied. "He needs to clean his room before I attack it with a garbage bag."

"I do not know the whereabouts of my brother," she said.

"Sucker," she muttered, going down the hall.

Chris raised his eyebrows. "Your mom is scary."

"GAGE!"

"SWEET! Gage's in shit, let's go watch!" Libby said excitedly. They piled into the hall while Gage appeared from the basement and made his way past them into his room.

"Yes Mommy?" he said in his good little boy voice. 

Mrs. St. Peter demanded, "Why the HELL are there panties under your bed?"

"How did those get there?" he wondered innocently. "Those aren't mine…"

"My brother's a whore?" Libby cried. "Told ya he needed new underwear."

"Those are mine!" Tabitha said, shocked. 

"Incest?" Abby exclaimed. "Is this how all you Canadians are? Grr to you, Tabitha, stealing my dream boy, who you happen to be very, very related to."

Tabitha lunged at Libby, strangling her. 

Libby screamed. "I'll never touch your panties again! AWAY! AWAAAAY!"

Abby giggled, "Back demon, grr."

Eventually, Libby's face turned a really bright red colour and their mother decided that it would be best to separate them.

"Am I off the hook?" Gage asked hopefully. 

Mrs. St. Peter looked at him briefly. "Clean your room. Your sisters are, however, in a great deal of crap."

"I didn't DO anything!" Tabitha exclaimed. "It was all HER! SHE'S bad! I'm the good child!"

Libby said, "No, I'M the good child. I'm your favourite, remember Mommy? I'm the one who looks like you. I have your eyes."

Jake came upstairs. "Alright. I heard the word panties. What did I miss?"

Mrs. St. Peter gave Chris and Abby apologetic looks. "I'm sorry. I have evil offspring."

"Am I evil?" Jake asked.

"Not today," she replied.

"Am I evil?" Gage asked. 

"Clean your room," she said sharply, and then a sly look passed over her face. "Actually, will you give Chris and Abby a ride home?"

Libby squeaked in protest.

"Libby, you and your sister are cleaning your brother's room," Mrs. St. Peter said. 

Libby and Tabitha screamed. 

Chris and Abby snickered. "Have fun," Abby said to the sisters, looking up adoringly at Gage. "I know I will."

"Shotgun!" Chris announced. 

"Over my dead body!" Abby snapped, following closely behind Gage.


	13. Detention, Math Help and a Friendship

On her way to Room 205 after school, Libby saw Teddy sitting outside the principal's office. He glanced up, his eyes following her. "Hey, Libby."

"Hi," she said back. "Come here often?"

"Yep," he said with a sly smirk. "What are you doing here? You can go home now, you know."

"Yeah, but I'm not smart, so I have to come for extra math help."

"So, um, look..." Teddy looked at herwith a softness in his eyes. "I'm really sorry about that night. I'm not going to drink anymore. It's just costing me friends. And I screwed up my friendship with you before I barely even had it."

Smiling deeply, Libby nodded wordlessly.

"Anyway, I've been thinking, you know, there's this dance coming up, and if you're not still pissed at me, maybe you'd let me take you."

Considering for a moment, Libby realized she couldn't help but be charmed by him. He was adorable. Just looking at him and having him look back at her all nervously and hopefully made her want to giggle and give him a hug. Instead, she shrugged and said, "Okay. But if you do anything to anger me, I might attack you."

"Fancy meeting you here," Delia said about an hour later when they met up in the hallway, each on their way out of the school.

"Very fancy. What were you doing here?" Libby asked, trying to be polite. Delia wasn't her favourite person in the world, but she didn't want to be rude.

"I'm getting paid to tutour a freshman in Biology. The retard keeps trying to look down my shirt, but I like money, so I put up with it. Although I do sometimes steer him towards thinking he knows what he's doing when he really doesn't...How was your day?"

Libby grinned. "Teddy asked me out again. That was the highlight."

Delia smiled her wintry smile. "You really like him, don't you?"

"Ohh, boy, yes."

She laughed. "Good." She checked her watch. "I don't suppose you'd want to come to the diner with me, would you? I'm hungry."

"Sweet deal, I'm constantly hungry. We can be friends, because we have so much in common, what with the whole food aspect and whatnot."

"We can," Delia said.

"We can?" she asked, shocked. She had been kidding. She would befriend anyone for food.

"Yeah," Delia replied nonchalantly. "I'm sorry for blowing up on you the other day."

Libby waved a hand. "I was a cow. That thing I said to you was totally uncalled for."

"I deserved it."

"Bah. I don't care. I have the memory span of a goldfish."

"Which is three seconds," Delia told her helpfully. 

"Oh my God, where am I? Holy crap, who are you?" she cried. 

Weiss' Diner was pretty empty. Delia ordered a small order of fries for herself and asked Libby what she wanted. When Libby protested, Delia snapped, "It's my impression of an apology. Now what the hell do you want?"

"Thanks," she said, looking at her in touched awe. "A vanilla milkshake, please lots."

They sat down at a table with their food. Libby took a drink and demanded, "So what's with this whole you being nice to me bit?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you're very aware that you don't have the reputation of being the nice girl. The pretty girl, the smart girl, the dark and mysterious girl, the girl every guy wants but is too scared to get shut down, but never the nice girl," she said. "So what's this all about?"

"Want me to be straight with you?"

"I certainly wouldn't want you to be gay with me."

"Can I have a sip?" Libby pushed her milkshake to her and allowed her to take a drink. "Thanks. Okay. First off, would you like to know why I didn't like you?"

"Um...sure?"

"I don't like competition, and that's what you are. I still love Teddy...very much. But I know we could never get back together. He never cared about me, though; I was just the rebound girl after Andie cheated on him with Chris. I think he was actually trying to make Chris mad by going out with his sister. But from like, the first day you got here, he's been taken with you." She shrugged sadly. "You're both good people, so I can see why he likes you...I'm not a good person. I'm not sweet or kind or anything. I never have been. It's the way I grew up, I guess. So I understand why no one's ever loved me. But that doesn't make it easier when the guy I love falls for someone else."

"Delia," Libby began. "Everyone is loved by someone. I'm sure you're an important part of someone's life and you just don't even know it."

Shrugging again, Delia continued, "Anyway, I was mad because Teddy liked you. That's why I never gave you a change."

Libby smiled impishly. "I sort of have a confession. I thought you were a bitch."

Not caring at all about her confession, she said, "Now for the second half of my story."

"But I don't have popcorn."

"Quiet," she said, smiling. "I have a history with Teddy. I broke up with him because he did some impolite shit to me, and while I may not be too good for anything, I'm defintely not lacking in the pride area. So I couldn't stay with him, no matter how much I loved him."

"I like this story. I hope it has a happy ending."

"I think you're a good kid, Libby," Delia told her. 

She laughed, choking on her milkshake. 

"Sincerely."

"Ahahaha I'm special."

Delia offered her the last of her fries. "And I think you'll be good for Teddy. He needs someone, and maybe that someone should be you."

"I'm touched."

"So," Delia said, getting up to throw out her garbage. She waited for Libby. "I figured we could be friends."

"Coming from you, that's actually quite flattering. You're kinda scary."

"Meh. You're a change from Andie." She smiled distantly. "When I started to consider the almighty do-gooder my best friend, I became afraid."

"We can be partners in crime then?"

Delia glanced at her. "Just don't let Teddy hurt you." 


	14. Beautiful Disaster

Friday evening, Vern walked over to the happy little St. Peter home to walk to the school with Tabitha and Libby. 

"You two look pretty," Vern said when they came to the door.

Libby personally thought that she looked like a freak of nature. She'd allowed her sister to do be her beauty advisor. She was even wearing stupid wobbly shoes. "So do you," she piped up. "The thoughts in my head that I'm having of you would make a nun scream."

Vern and Tabitha smiled at each other and shook their heads. 

"She's crazy," he whispered. 

"She's adopted. I hope she is anyway." Tabitha shuddered. "She's like oneof those flies that you can't kill but they just keep on buzzing and buzzing and--"

"Hey, Tabby, you don't have a date," Libby announced. 

"What's your point, Buttlick?"

"Neither does Vern."

"Shut up, Libby," she growled. 

"Well, I'm sorry that you two have NO ONE, whereas I have a hottie date." She hugged her sister. "But I love you like I love cheesecake."

"You hate cheesecake, you moron."

"Yes, I do hate cheesecake, actually. It's too sweet. Just like you!" 

The school gym was packed when they got there. It was a sea of bodies in motion. The lights were low and distracting and filtered through decorative paper.

Libby and Teddy had caught up to each other in the lobby, and they were holding on to each other's hands to keep from being separated. Even though his hand was sweaty (although her hand was probably sweaty to him), she was quite delighted at the fact that her night was only just starting and she was already having the best time with him. 

She had to yell to be heard. "This so called BAND the school hired sound like their instruments are killing themselves!"

Teddy shouted, "WHAT?" He bent down to her height so he could hear.

"THIS MUSIC SUCKS!"

"Ahh," he said, nodding. "Sucky music is what makes the whole night so grand."

Abby's shoulders sagged as she took in the numb, mindless teenage conformity. She yelled to Gordie, "Let's hit the punch bowl, Gordo."

Tabitha asked, "Can I come? I like to experiment with punch."

Gordie smiled in that tender way he had. "Tabitha's a looooser. You can be my other date tonight. I'm already escorting Abby out of kindness, but there's room for you. Does that sound intriguing?"

"Very. I can hardly keep my dress on." Vern followed behind Tabitha loyally, and Delia left to mingle. Andie and Chris were already dancing together. 

Teddy told Libby in a confidential voice that was begging to be overheard, "Chris dances like a lumberjack, hey?"

"Yeah, like a lumberjack who's cut off his own leg," Libby agreed. grinning as Chris glared at them. 

"I don't see you out here making a fool out of yourself," Chris said. 

"THAT'S because I'm a worse dancer than YOU, but at least I KNOW that and don't parade around like a pixie embarrassing myself." She smiled, sweetly innocent.

Andie grinned. "Ignore them, Chris. You're a lovely dancer." She laughed and knocked her head against his shoulder. "Anyway, shut up and keep doing whatever the hell it is you're trying to do."

Teddy cackled, grabbing Andie away from Chris and began doing a frightening swing dance, scaring the people around them. At one point, he accidentally swung her too enthusiastically and sent her flying into Libby. "Sorry Libby!" he yelled. "I was just showing Andie what dancing is REALLY like."

Libby smirked, not thinking to be jealous. "I think she's all swung out. Don't kill her. The night is young and so is she."

Teddy linked arms with Libby. "Wanna polka?"

"I'm not wearing my Austrian trousers though!"

Andie laughed. "You two suit each other. You're both crazy." 

"You could polka WITH us if that would stop the rude comments," Teddy offered. 

She put up a hand and leaned into Chris when he put his hands around her waist. "No thanks, Teddy. You'd polka me right into a wall, I know how that twisted mind of yours works."

"You have no idea," he said, and twirled Libby in a circle, making her laugh and stumble around like a drunk.

"You're fun," she giggled. "But you're making me dizzy."

"It's the lights, really!" he promised with a huge playful grin. "I'm not PURPOSELY trying to make you all 'weeee!' so I can take ADVANTAGE of you or anything like that."

She nodded. "That's good." A new song started, and she whirled around in the direction of the band. "This is evil trying to seep into my brain through crappiness!"

"That's very tricky," Teddy said approvingly. 

"Food now?" she asked. 

"Yep. We'll see if Gordie and company have moved away from the food yet."

She followed him to the refreshments table. Apparently Abby, Gordie, Tabitha and Vern had not ventured away from the punch bowl. "My sister!" Libby cried, running to hug Tabitha.

Tabitha screamed in fright and ducked under her arms to avoid contact. "Demon!"

"So, are you buzzed yet?"

"Nope."

"The punch is bad?"

"Yep," she said. "Damn faulty punch. The chips and dip I liked. I highly recommend the chips and dip."

Libby nodded contemplatively. "Thanks. It was nice doing business with you."

"If you ever come near me again, I'll gouge out your eyes with a Popsicle stick." She smiled brightly, tilting her head in a borderline comical manner. "I love you, have fun! I won't have fun though. Vern won't dance with me, which is sad. I hate guys who won't do what I ask them to. Except for Vern, I seem to like him an awful lot..."

Teddy grabbed Libby's arm and she turned her attention from Tabitha, not that she was really listening anyway. "I'll be back okay, Lib?"

"Where are you going?"

"Out for a smoke." He left the gymnasium quickly. 

Chris came up to her. "How can you eat that? Everyone double dips."

Libby stared at the chip she had just licked the salt off of. "Tabitha, come eat my chip!"

"What did you do to it?" she snapped maliciously. 

"Nothing!" she yelled back defensively.

"Did you drop it?!"

"No!!"

"Did you sneeze on it?!"

"NO!!!"

Tabitha resentfully ate the chip.

Libby beamed. "I just licked it." She hid behind Chris, using him as a shield. When Tabitha lost interest in trying to kill her, Libby said, "So, Christopher, you appear to be Andie-less."

"Yeah, she went to the girls' room." He smiled. "Girls pee a lot."

Appearing thoughtful, Libby said slowly, "Heeyy...that's weird! AUGH!" she squealed. "DELIA! You move too stealthily! You scared the bejeebus out of me!"

Chris and Libby didn't know how long she'd been there, but suddenly Delia stood between them. She smiled hello. 

Chris said, "Deelie, you should wear bells on your shoes. That was sneaky. And startling. I'm going to go see what Gordie's doing, unless you need something?"

"No, it's okay," she told him. When her brother was gone, Delia took Libby by the arm and pulled her away from the group. "Libby, I just saw something not good."

"Was it a vampire?"

"...No."

"Was it a banshee?"

"No--"

"Was it something that didn't have a head?"

"No, it was Teddy and Andie."

"Excuse me?"

"Teddy and Andie are making out by the vending machine."

The moment that Libby stared at her lasted for a long time. "That's pretty low, Delia."

"You think I'm lying?" she demanded. "I wouldn't lie about this! It's my little brother that's going to be crushed. And I wouldn't make up something that would hurt Chris."

For the first time, Libby saw something weird in Delia's eyes, and it took her a while to realize that it was concerned compassion. Suddenly, she could tell how much Delia cared about her brother. Usually it was the brother that was ultra-protective of his sister, but it was the other way around with Delia and Chris. Libby grumbled to herself for awhile, because she found herself trusting Delia even though everything in her mind was telling her not to trust Delia--Everyone hated her, so why should she believe her? It was the purely genuine worry for her brother that Libby trusted though, and she believed her that her maybe-maybe not boyfriend was playing tonsil hockey with Chris' girlfriend. "This is the second time Teddy's pissed me off." 

"You can't really trust his apologies sometimes," Delia said. "He's a great guy, he's just got a lot of growing up to do. He's had a rough time, Libby."

"I was stupid to think that I could help him change," she muttered. 

Delia looked up at her helplessly. "Chris has been in love with Andie since they were kids. When it stopped being unrequited, he was so happy. I'm worried about him. Do you know how sad he's going to be?"

"I won't say anything."

"Neither will I, but it won't make this go away."

Sighing, Libby looked around, seeing Andie and Teddy still hadn't returned. She turned her rootless eyes back to Delia. "You don't look like you're having a good time. Is anything else wrong?"

"No, I'm good." But she looked miserable. "I think I should have stayed home though. Not my scene, I guess."

"Lonely?"

"I don't get lonely, I get bored," Delia said, putting her barrier back up again. "Teddy's back. Have fun."

"Did you miss me?" Teddy asked playfully, putting his hand on the small of her back. 

Trying her best not to glare at him, she told him indifferently, "Delia kept me company."

"Delia CHAMBERS? When did she decide to crawl out from under her rock?"

"She hasn't been living under a rock," Libby snapped. "You'd be surprised how much she knows." Suddenly she squealed. "Look! Tabitha! Vern! Dancing! Together!"

Tabitha, evidently, had convinced Vern to dance. Both of them were awkward, but they had matching purely happy smiles, and their fingers intertwined sweetly. 

As she was watching her sister's night be made, Libby began to listen to the words of the song playing. 

__

"I'm longing for love and the logical

But he's only happy hysterical

I'm waiting for some kind of miracle...

He's soft to the touch

But frayed at the ends

He breaks

He's never enough

But still he's more than I can take..."

She found herself looking at Teddy as the words of the song's truth washed over her, making her feel ill. Suddenly, Libby felt humiliated and let down. There was something she saw in Teddy that was so vulnerable and sweet and she wanted to have him for her own. But obviously, he didn't seem to see enough in her to let that happen. 

Andie's innocently laughter rang out as Chris dipped her unexpectedly, and she held on to his arm tightly, trusting him not to let her fall. He brought her back up effortlessly and just held her, smiling happily and carefree. 

Libby watched out of the corner of her eye. Andie would never have to worry about Chris letting her fall. She could always trust him. And he was so blissfully content with her, thinking that she would always hold on to him. Chris was such a nice guy. And he was going to get burned. She was mad at Teddy for hurting her feelings, but she was especially mad at him for potentially hurting Chris. And she abruptly was filled with an overwhelming hate for Andie. Because, even knowing that Chris was in love with her, she would let him fall.

(Author's Note: Sigh, I am making myself feel bad for Chris..Anyway, the lyrics I used are from Beautiful Disaster by Kelly Clarkson (yes I know she wasn't around in the sixties, i'm using anachronism or whatever it's called)...so I highly recommend downloading this song, it reminds me so much of Teddy! And it's pretty.)


	15. Gordie's Hint

Noticing the goosebumps on Abby's arms, Gordie wrapped his coat around her shoulders without a word. She looked up at him in surprise, but he pretended to be window shopping. 

The two of them were walking aimlessly around Castle Rock. There wasn't a whole lot to do in the tiny town on a Saturday. And, with most of their friends coupling off, Gordie and Abby spent many Saturdays together just enjoying each other's company. Delia was the exception of the couples ordeal, but neither of them really thought of inviting her along. No one generally thought of inviting Delia along for anything to be honest. 

"Did you have fun last night?" Gordie asked her. 

"Yeah," she grinned, her grey eyes eager. "I quite enjoyed the part when Vern tried to kiss Tabitha."

He laughed. "And he missed her mouth and kissed her nose."

"Vern's always been a smooth operator, hasn't he?"

"Well, if we're speaking in the language of sarcasm, yes."

"Remember when he was the fat kid?"

"That was like two years ago, Abby," he laughed. "I remember."

"Hey, remember when you were the bean pole?" She cackled. "Silly me, you still are a bean pole."

"Your attempt at humour is cute but futile," he informed her, grinning.

They stopped at the park and sat under a huge tree that they had once carved their initials into. Not in a AC + GL=love in a huge heart, just in a way to kinda say they had been there. 

Sitting in content silence, Gordie began to think about Denny. He'd never told Abby, but he had picked this tree to make his mark in because it was the best climbing tree in the park, and it had been the one that he and Denny used to climb. The first time he'd gotten scared and got stuck on the first branch and wouldn't move. But Denny had been there. Denny had always been there. 

__

"Well of course you gotta hit him back," Denny said, combing his dark hair back, in preperation for his date. 

"He's practically six foot five!" 

"And he's in the fourth grade?"

"Hormones, Denny."

Denny gave him a look, amusement in his eyes. "Sorry."

"Wanna be my bodyguard? You could wear sunglasses and a trenchcoat."

"Sure, kiddo," he promised, holding him in a headlock and messing up his hair. 

Maybe it was the looks that Denny used to give him that Gordie missed the most. But then he'd think of something else that he missed the most, like how he would always stick up for him or how he always laughed at the right parts when he used to read his stories. And then Gordie would get even more lonely. Maybe it was just having Denny as a brother that he missed the most. 

"Are you okay, Gordie?" Abby asked, shattering his memory. 

If he had trusted his voice to not be filled with tears, Gordie would have assured her that yes, he was okay, but he felt his throat constrict and all he could do was look at her helplessly. 

"Gordie," she murmured, recognizing the look. "Denny wouldn't want you to stay so sad."

"I just miss him," he said quietly. "I was twelve when he died, and I'm just about sixteen now, and I don't get why he's still so...gone."

Unsure of what to say, she put a hand on his arm, wishing she knew the magic words that would make his pain disappear.

"If I were to, say, cry or something, would you make fun of me?" he asked, with a sad laugh in his voice, but fat teardrops were already lolling down his cheeks.

"Nah, I'd just wait with you until you stopped," she told him, not looking at him, knowing he would be embarrassed to have her see him cry.

"Thanks," he murmured.

"Hey, that's what friends are for."

Gordie hesitated, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. "What if you were more than just my friend?"

She looked at him, not noticing his rosy cheeks or red rimmed eyes. "Is that a hint?"

"A hint? I'm not sure..." Tucking her curly blond hair behind her ear and then leaving his hand to rest against her upturned face, he kissed her softly. When he moved away, his tears had been replaced by a smile. "But that definetly was."


	16. Delia's Finest Moment

Pulling her jacket closer to her body, Delia moved in her confident gait up the sidewalk and rang the doorbell. 

The jacket belonged to Chris, or at least it did. He had outgrown it and was planning on giving it to Goodwill, but Delia asked for it. Sometimes, when she needed to be strong, she needed some of Chris' strength because she admired it so much, but he wasn't usually around. No one was. So she kept the jacket with her.

"What are you doing here?" Teddy asked, coming to the door dressed in a blue T-shirt, sweats and mismatched socks.

"Hi Teddy." Without asking, she brushed past him into his house. 

"Communicating with Delia, Take Two: What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you."

He smiled. "I never pictured you as the type to come begging. I'm with Libby now. What would Chris say if he found out how desperate his sister was?"

"You shut up about my brother," she said emotionlessly. "But I do want to talk about Libby."

"She's cute. I wouldn't dump her for a self-centered bitch, so I'm afraid you're out of luck."

"Screw you, Teddy. I don't want to get back together with you." She shook her head, as if trying to convince herself. "Not on your life."

"Too bad, you were a great trophy girlfriend while it lasted," he said, half seriously, half jokingly.

Ignoring him, she said, "If you hurt Libby the way you hurt me--"

"That again?" he sighed. 

"Yes, that again," she snapped. "That again, always, until you learn to stop hurting the people that love you."

"_Love_ me?" he scoffed. "The people that _love_ me? Now _there's_ a dying breed."

"Oh get over yourself. This time you've really fucked up, Teddy."

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't attack me in my own home, Delia."

"I saw you with Andie. This time you're not only about to hurt a girl who's head over heals for you yet _again_--"

He interrupted, "What do you mean by 'again?' If you were referring to yourself, you were never head over heals for me, Delia."

"Yes I was. But it doesn't matter, because now Libby is nuts for you." Her glare was harsh, and Teddy actually took a step away from her. "But my brother is also caught in this whole mess, and he is going to get hurt. And _then_ I will be _mad_ because Chris has had enough people in his life hurt him, and I'll be damned if I let some cheating asshole take the girl he loves from him."

"I only kissed her Delia," he said, but the look on his face was remorseful. 

"Just like you only screwed that other girl?" she snapped. He lowered his gaze. "You broke my heart, Teddy. You really did. I know you were wasted when you fooled around, but now you're sober, and you still haven't changed. Libby is my friend, she's a good kid, and Chris is my brother, and you just can't hurt them, okay?"

"I'll change."

"You _can't_ change!" she cried helplessly. "You have no one in your life to look up to and tell you right from wrong."

"You honestly think you have me all figured out, don't you?" He stared at her with contempt. "You don't, Delia. You have no idea."

Suddenly, he felt the warmth of her body up next to his. She touched his face, and he jerked away. She lay her hand against his chest, and he wanted to pull away but didn't. 

Delia brushed her lips against his, and he moved closer, reaching out, needing her contact. But she was gone. 

"See, Teddy? You're not so hard to figure out."


	17. Conversations

Still floating from the night before, Tabitha daydreamed about her neighbour as she took the garbage out to the driveway for pickup in the morning. 

"Hi Tabitha!"

Turning in the direction of the Tessio house, Tabitha saw Jeannie playing jacks on the front porch. "Hey Jeannie. How's your life?"

"Gooood," she giggled. "How is YOURS? Or should I be asking how's your NOSE doing?"

Holding back a grin, she climbed the porch steps and sat down next to her, wooden splinters digging into her bare legs. "And how did you find out about the whole nose thing?"

"Your sister told Jake, and Jake told me. And then I told my brother Billy and me and him have been making fun of Vern all day, but right now he's hiding from us." Jeannie leaned forward, disbelief in her eyes. "His lips actually TOUCHED you? Did you hurl?"

Smiling down at the girl, she shook her head. "It was really sweet. He--he's just really sweet."

"You're as disgusting as _he _is," Jeannie marveled. 

"Just wait until you fall in love with the boy next door." Getting to her feet and dusting off the seat of her shorts, Tabitha said, "Thanks for the talk, Jeannie."

"My pleasure. Hey, maybe he'll get your mouth next time!"

Laughing, Tabitha said, "I hope so!"

When he was sure Tabitha had gone inside, and he heard Jeannie gather up her jacks and go in the house, Vern climbed out from under the porch.

"Hello?"

"Is Libby home?"

"Nope, she's in the bathroom. And she's _been _in the bathroom for hours. Every once in a while, I hear splashing sounds. Would you like an audiovisual? Imagine the sound of a dog drinking out of the toilet. That's the sound I hear from time to time. I will leave it up to you to think of what she must be doing in there."

"Who is that?" a voice demanded angrily in the background. 

The boy that had answered the phone screamed and suddenly Libby's voice took over. "My apologies. Hello?"

"Your little brother, I presume?" Delia said.

"Yep. I'm sitting on him as we speak." She giggled. "Why are you calling?"

"I talked to your lover boy today."

"What? What the hell for?"

"You swore!" Jake yelled. 

"I did not you damn liar!"

"I'm not sure why I felt the need to talk to him, but I went over anyway."

"And just for the record, what did he say?"

"Well, he said you were cute."

"_Cute_?" she cried. "That's for _ducks_ and _bunnies_!"

"And you, apparently."

"Mind you, I hate bunnies because they're frightening and twitchy."

"Teddy said he wouldn't dump you for anyone else." Although what he'd actually said was he wouldn't dump her for _Delia_, but why worry over trivial matters?

Libby whined. "If he didn't drink so much and be all unfaithful, he'd be so perfect!"

"Are you still going to go out with him?"

"I do have some self-respect, you know."

"So...you're not going to go out with him."

"I didn't say that."

"Weiss residence," Andie said politely, picking up the phone.

"Guess what guess what guess what guess what!!!" 

"Abby?" Andie wondered.

"Guess WHAT!" Abby cried. 

Laughing at her excitement, she asked, "WHAT?"

"He kissed me!"

"Who did?"

"Who do you THINK?" 

"Give me a hint."

"Who have I been wanting to kiss for MY ENTIRE LIFE?" 

"Robert Duvall."

"Andie, you're a retard!" she exclaimed.

"What? He was a very sexy Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird! He had that whole sensitive air of mystery about him."

"Gordie! Kissed me! And it wasn't even an accident!"

"Abby!" Andie squeaked. "That's so great! How was it?"

"I don't really remember!"

Giggling, Andie said, "Heeyy, neat, we're best friends and our BOYFRIENDS are best friends."

"Gordie's my boyfriend?"

"No, Abby, he's just your kissing partner."

"I would settle for that, you know."

"Yes, I know you would."

"Who are you calling?" Delia asked Chris as he began to dial a phone number, sitting on the kitchen counter. 

"Andie. Why do you care?" He gave her a questioning look. 

"Oh...you're still, uh, together?"

"Yes..." Shaking his head, he dismissed this conversation to be one of Delia's odd moments. Getting a busy signal, he hung up the phone.

He went to the fridge and pulled out some leftovers. Delia watched him, hating how clueless he seemed to her right now. Usually he was the most perceptive guy she knew, but right now, he didn't have the slightest clue about what was going on. 

She had to tell him. Maybe she didn't have to, but she felt so bad for him. "Chris?"

"Oh, did you want some?" he asked, gesturing to the plate of lasagna he was gorging on. 

"No, thanks." She cleared her throat. "So, uh, are you Andie dating exclusively? You don't have any other girlfriends or anything?"

"No, we're exclusive. Why all the questions about Andie?"

"Well, do you remember how Andie cheated on Teddy with you?"

"Yeah, I felt like the biggest asshole for that, but he didn't treat her good."

"Hmm." She hesitated. "Um, it's the other way around now."

"What are you talking about, Delia?" he demanded. 

"Andie's cheating on you, Chris," she said quietly. 

Their gazes met, and the intensity that Chris stared at her with made Delia lower her eyes uncomfortably, almost guiltily. "You know what, Delia?"

She shook her head.

"I've always defended you when my friends say stuff about you, like how big a bitch you are and shit like that, because you're my sister. And maybe because you're my sister, that's why I never saw how right they were."

"Chris!" she said, shocked and offended. 

"I can't believe even you would stoop this low. I'm your brother! What's in it for you?"

"I don't want you to get hurt!"

"Of course," he barked, sarcastically bitter. "Well fuck you, Delia."

"Hey, Gordo," Chris said unenthusiastically, opening the door for his friend to come inside. 

"Hey, what's up?"

"Not much. Let's see, I'm getting suspicious of my girlfriend and I feel guilty for it and I hate my sister, but on the bright side, my aunt made pie."

Gordie raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay. Let's see. Why are you suspicious of Andie, which sister do you hate and why, and may I have some pie?"

"Andie might be cheating on me, the sister I hate is Delia and I hate her because I think she's lying about Andie and you can keep your grubby hands the hell away from my pie."

"Why would Andie cheat on you?" Gordie wondered, following his nose to the pie's location. 

"I don't know, Gordie, I've been thinking about it all day," Chris sighed. "I blew up on Delia today when she told me, but I can't figure out why she would lie about something like that. She wouldn't get anything out of it."

"You know Delia gets bored and just likes to stir things up for her own amusement."

Shaking his head, he said helplessly, "Yeah, I know--but she wouldn't do that to me."

"How do you know?"

"Alright, Gordie, don't kill me for saying this, but do you think if Denny were still around, he would do something like that to you?"

Gordie shook his head solemnly. 

"Well, Delia's my sister just like Denny was your brother. We might have a different relationship than you had with Denny, but the loyalties are still there."

"So you believe her then?"

"I don't want to." He shrugged. "It would suck to think that Andie doesn't care about me as much as she pretends to."

"She's capable of doing it, you know," Gordie reminded him gently. "She cheated on Teddy."

"I know. That's the only reason why I'm considering believing Delia."

"Delia?" Abby knocked on her sister's bedroom door. "Are you doing anything illegal in there or can I come in?"

"Go away."

"It's just me."

"I know. That's why I said go away."

Ignoring her sister's wishes, she entered the room, finding Delia curled up on her bed. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Oh my Lord. Are you crying?"

"Abby, go play with your dolls."

"I can't, you stuck pins in all of them." She sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, dammit, will you just leave?"

"I guess this isn't the time to ask you my question about Gordie."

"Gordie?" She looked up at her younger sister, her face tired and tight looking from the evident crying she'd been doing. "What about Gordie?"

"You sure you want to listen?" she asked. "You don't look up to sisterly bonding."

"I _said_, what about Gordie?"

"Okay, I'm going to ask you a philosophical question."

"I'm not a philosopher."

"Okay, if a guy kisses you, does that automatically mean that he's your boyfriend?"

Delia rolled over, groaning into her pillow, and Abby realized with horror that she was crying again, judging by her shaking shoulders. 

"Oh dear. I upset you."

"That wasn't a philosophical question," she muttered. 

"Sorry. What's the answer anyway?"

"You should talk to Gordie about this, not me." She reached out her hand, as if to grab something off the floor, but couldn't reach. 

Abby looked at the floor and saw a grungy looking teddy bear. She picked it up gingerly, looked at it for a moment, and then handed it to her sister. It seemed odd to her that Delia was seeking comfort in a stuffed animal. Actually, it was also quite odd that she was crying. After all, this was Delia, the girl whose heart was an automatic ice machine.

"I don't have a whole lot of luck with guys," Delia said quietly. 

"You like Gordie, don't you?"

"Always have. But Gordie would never go for someone like me. Now you, on the other hand, that's a different story. You're sweet and funny and nice and all that crap." She sniffled. "But I'm the Chambers kid that turned out bad."

"Delia, that's not true, all of us are turning out good despite everything we grew up with," Abby said, sitting on the edge of her bed, awkwardly stroking her perfectly glossy dark hair like their mother would have done. "And you, Deelie, are turning out great. You've grown up pretty, and smart, and occasionally amusing--"

"But not nice, or kind, or...worth loving." She tucked the bear under her arm. "Even Chris hates me. Chris doesn't hate anyone."

"You're retarded. Chris does love you. I love you. Aunt Marian and Uncle Gregg love you. Todd loves you. I also think Dexter might kinda have a thing for you, too."

"You're family though. You're bound by law to love me." She glanced up at her suddenly. "What about Dexter?" Dexter was Andie's older brother. He was blind, but unusually intelligent and observant, so Delia couldn't imagine how someone like him would ever like her. 

"You need to stop acting like you don't feel anything, like you don't need anyone." Abby laid down next to her, resting her head on her shoulder. "Then maybe people would tell you they loved you more often. Honestly, people are just afraid that you're going to turn them away if they start to feel something for you."

"Oh, so I really am scary?"

"Yep." She grinned. "You're my sister, Delia. No matter what, I'm going to be able to see the good in you, so if you ever need reminding, just ask."

A tender, painful smile touched Delia's face. She sat up on her bed. "I'm happy for you and Gordie."

"Thanks," she said, also sitting up.

"I suppose we hug now? Isn't that what they do on TV?"

"I think so." Abby put her arms around her sister's shoulders and rested her chin against she crook of her neck. 

"How long is this supposed to last?" Delia asked. 

"I don't know, you started it."

Letting go, she said, "You should go downstairs. Gordie's here."

"He _is_? How do you know?"

"I listen for him on occasion," she giggled. 

"I have to tell you something," Gordie said, eating his third piece of pie. This was sometime after Abby had come down from upstairs and visited for awhile. 

"What?" Chris asked distractedly, involved in his food.

"You can't beat me up if I tell you."

"Well, yes I could beat you up effortlessly. You wouldn't stand a chance. But I promise not to get violent."

"Okay, I kissed your sister."

"WHICH sister?" Chris demanded. 

"Your younger one..."

Chris glared at him. "My little sister? Asshole."

"She's a big girl, you know. She's capable of making decisions on her own."

"She's incredible immature. I mean, I think she still talks to her stuffed animals."

"Hey, wouldn't you rather it be me than say, Teddy or someone?"

"I would rather her become a nun. But I guess you're acceptable."

"Gee thanks, Chris."

"Hey, you're lucky I'm not giving you the hurt-her-and-die lecture." He smiled faintly. "You're also lucky I trust you to take care of her when I'm not around."


	18. Strawberry ice cream

Tabitha and Abby talked Libby into coming to Andie's house with her the next day. Libby had made it clear many times that she didn't like Andie and she didn't want Andie to think they were friends, but they just ignored her. 

They knocked on the Weiss' door and waited for someone to be kind enough to let them in. Eventually, a young male's voice yelled, "Okay, yeah, make the blind wonder do your bidding!" A tall boy probably somewhere between eighteen and twenty opened the door, waiting for someone to talk. 

"You're blind?" Abby gasped in mock surprise. 

A smile appeared on his face, and touched his blank eyes in a tender way. "Hi, Abby. Is your delightful sister with you?"

"I don't have a sister," she said. 

"That's what you always say. And I smell men's after shave, so I'm assuming that that's you, Tabitha?"

"Good job, you deserve a cookie," Tabitha giggled. "My little sister's here too. This is Libby. Libby, this is Dexter, Andie's brother."

"Wow, Libby, you're hot," Dexter told her. 

"Yeah, I get that a lot from blind guys," Libby told him. "Sighted guys, not so much."

"Is your sister around, Dexter?" Abby asked.

"Hmm...Yes. But you might have to come in and play with me for awhile," he said. "Andie hasn't emerged from her room yet. She's up there with Chris and they're being bad so I'm just staying away as far as humanly possible."

"Hey, Chris isn't getting any action," Chris called. He and Delia were rounding the corner and walking across the grass to the front step. 

"Chris?" Dexter looked surprised. 

"Dexter?" Chris' eyebrows raised skeptically. 

"How did you get out here when you're up there making out with my little sister?" he demanded. "My God, you're amazing!"

"I haven't seen Andie today." He paused. "Fuck." He moved into the house.

"Chris, we never said you could play," Tabitha told him. 

"Shut up," he snapped, going up the stairs he'd climbed so many times. 

"Uh-oh," Libby said. "I smell trouble."

"I smell pancakes," Tabitha said cheerfully, seemingly unaffected by Chris snapping on her. 

"So," Dexter said. "Does anyone here happen to know what's going on?"

"Yes," Delia said. 

"Delia, I didn't even know you were here," he said, sounding pleased. 

"I always know when she's around because I get goosebumps," Abby offered. 

"You brought him over here?" Libby asked Delia appraisingly. 

"Yes. He said he needed to know."

"Would you care to elaborate, Delia?" Dexter asked. 

"No," she replied, turning her face away, looking almost guilty. "I think you'll find out soon."

"Oh my God, you bitch," Chris' voice said from deep in the house. 

A small, surprised female voice floated downstairs, sounding shocked and ashamed. 

"Chris, no," the voice pleaded. Definitely Andie. "I mean, this--it's nothing, I mean--"

"Don't even," he said quickly. A door slammed and he trampled down the stairs. His peaceful eyes were blazing and he looked shaken. He didn't look anyone in the eye as he said, "Sorry--I'm sorry...I have to go. I have to go for a walk."

Tabitha and Abby each looked at their own sisters in surprise. 

Delia looked like she wanted to cry. She moved to run after him, but Libby shook her head at her. "I'll go," she said, and left to catch up with Chris. 

"I think I am at an understanding now," Dexter muttered. 

"Yes," Delia said, nodding. 

"I'm not!" Abby cried. 

"Andie's cheating on Chris," he said, his eyebrows knit in concentration. "But I don't think I know with who."

"Teddy," Delia said flatly.

Abby's hands flung around her throat and squawked, "Gack! Gack! Gross! Gack! Ew!"

Dexter shook his head and turned to somewhat face Delia's general direction while Abby carried on. "How did you know?"

"I saw. And Libby also knew."

"How did Libby know?" Abby asked. 

"I'm friends with Libby," she said. 

"You are?"

She smiled. "Yes."

"What, did you give her a lobotomy or something?"

"Yes."

"Hahahahaha, Libby got BURNED," Tabitha cackled evilly. They all stared at her, except for Dexter, who was blind and could not stare. "It's funny because she's my sister."

"Well, I'm disappointed in myself for not being aware of this." Dexter shook his head. "Andie's going to have a lot of kissing up to Chris to do."

"No," Delia said. "She doesn't deserve Chris. No offense, Dexter."

"Well I most certainly am leaving," Abby announced. "If Teddy's here, I refuse to stick around. Wanna come with me, Tabitha?"

"Sure. I'd like to laugh more about my sister's ill fortune, but I don't think the people here appreciate it."

"Chris, wait up!"

Chris didn't stop walking, but he did slow down. He didn't turn around to see who was coming after him; he didn't even care. He didn't care where he was going or when he'd come back. His simple world was crumbling and he didn't want to be there when it all came down. 

"Chris," she breathed, catching up to him. "What happened?"

He shrugged and stared ahead grimly. 

"I'm sorry, Chris."

"Why?" he demanded, his careless dirty blond hair flopping into his eyes. "You weren't the one rolling around in bed with my girlfriend."

"I most certainly wasn't," she agreed. "Teddy, right?"

"Yeah," he replied. He looked at her. "You knew too?"

She nodded. 

"Of course I'm the last to know..."

"No, Delia and I were the only ones that knew." 

He shrugged helplessly, looking so much like a little boy. "I can't believe she'd do this."

"I guess you and her are going to have to talk."

"I don't want to talk to her, she's a cheating bitch."

"Chris, don't say that," Libby said. "You love her."

He nodded, looking at the ground. 

"That's probably why it hurts so much," she murmured, meeting his eye sympathetically. 

"So, I guess you're kinda hurt about Teddy then?" he asked. 

"I only had a crush on him," she said, rather dismissive. "I didn't love him the way you love Andie."

"Um...do you want to go for a walk?"

"I thought that was what we were doing."

"We could try walking without talking about Andie. We could try talking about you. I think I would be interested in learning more about the mysterious new girl."

Libby grinned. "Mysterious? Try very sexy."

He laughed. "Sure, if you like elves."

"I prefer Chrisses."

"And I prefer Libbies."

"So you're trying to tell me that you've known about this for the past two days?" Dexter asked, effortlessly popping a spoonful of Grape Nuts in his mouth at the breakfast table. 

"I have indeed." Delia grinned proudly. "I keep secrets good."

"I'm happy for you." He smiled. "Can I bother you to tell me where the sugar bowl is? I hate Grape Nuts, they taste like rabbit pellets."

"It's about ninety degrees from your right hand."

"Thanks. Okay, run the Libby and Chris thing by me one more time."

"I have my suspicions that Libby likes Chris."

"She expects Chris to not forgive Andie and go running straight for her?"

She stared at him. "Why not?" she asked. "What makes Andie so much better?"

"I don't know Libby," he said calmly. "I'm just saying that Andie really does love Chris and he loves her and I think they'll get over this."

She smiled her evil demonic smile. "Not if I can help it."

"Are you scheming against my sister?"

"Hey, your sister did a pretty good job of messing everything up on her own," she shot back. "She can't have it all."

"So you hope that your brother and my sister don't get back together?"

"Oh, but it's for the best," she giggled. 

"You're evil," Dexter told her. 

"I'm sorry Dexter," Delia told him. "I don't have anything against Andie or anything...well I have a few things against her. But anyway, I just prefer my brother."

He nodded. "I forgive you. Andie can be a brat, can't she?"

Delia laughed. She'd always enjoyed Dexter's company. She could be herself, and he didn't seem to mind.

"Come to think of it, I was pretty stupid to believe that someone like Andie would ever take the relationship she had with me seriously."

"Someone like Andie?" Libby asked, licking leisurely at the ice cream Chris had bought her.

"Beautiful, smart, popular."

"Hey, that's the opposite of me!" she exclaimed. "Hahahaha me and Andie are antonyms."

"You escaped from an institution of some sort, didn't you, Libby?" Chris asked. 

"No, silly, that's absurd," she giggled. "I like to refer to it as the funny farm."

"That's very clever."

"Thanks." She looked up at him. He had barely touched his ice cream. "You know what, Chris? You're better off without her."

"Oh, God, no I'm not," he said miserably.

"You're a way better person than her anyway."

"How do you figure?"

"You never would have even thought of cheating on her." She shrugged. "And you didn't even believe that she would cheat on you at first."

"Which goes to show how stupid I am."

"You put your full faith in her." Libby wiped some ice cream off of her nose. "That's called love. And love isn't stupid."

Chris studied her face for a long moment. "You're a sweet kid, you know that?"

"I'm not a kid, thank you very much," she giggled. 

"No. You're not." 

He found himself kissing her. Her lips were so much more different from Andie's, but she tasted like strawberry ice cream, and she was so small in his arms. He broke away suddenly, feeling sick. "I'm sorry, Libby..."

"For what?" she demanded. "I did not protest. I do not protest."

"I'm just missing Andie," he said. "And you just happen to be around...I'm using you."

"Ooh, now I feel special," she told him. 

"It would be like what Teddy did to Delia when Andie cheated on him with me. Teddy went straight to Delia because he wanted to get back at Andie. I don't want to be like Teddy. He only went after her because he knew she liked him. It's the exact same thing with you and me." 

"You know I like you?"

"What?"

"Uhh, scratch that."

"You like me?"

"I babble."

Chris stared at her. 

"Stop looking at me!" she whined. "There is a possibility I like you...but in an unattainable way. Now. This is where you let me down easy."

"I don't want to let you down easy," he said. "I don't want to let you down at all."

"Huh?"

He grinned. "I babble." He leaned over and kissed her again, this time pushing any thoughts of Andie out of his head.


	19. Andie Knows

"I am a lovely little coconut," Tabitha sang, bouncing about. "Look at my milky white juiciness…I'm bursting with fruit flavour!"

"Make her stop," Gordie pleaded to no one in particular. 

They were on the bus on Monday, on their way home from school. The seating arrangements were somewhat awkward. Abby and Gordie sat together, Tabitha sat with Andie, Chris sat with Vern, Teddy had sat next to Libby without permission, and Delia had a seat to herself.

Tabitha was so unbelievably flipping hyper; she had begun to sing about what she'd be like if she were a fruit. She stopped bouncing. "Why isn't there a light in the freezer?"

Vern looked over at her and smiled. 

Delia also slowly turned to stare at her, but then rolled her eyes, frowning. 

"There is a light in the freezer," Abby told her. 

"No there isn't," Tabitha said. "There's a light in the refrigerator, but not in the freezer."

Abby shook her head. "No…Okay. You know how when you close the fridge door, the light turns off and no one knows where that light goes? The light goes to the freezer. But then when you open the freezer door, it goes back into the fridge, so you never see it."

"Abby," Delia said. "There's a light switch in the refrigerator. That's why the light turns on. And there's no light in the freezer because that's the way God intended it to be."

"It's elves, dammit!" Abby shot back tearfully.

Delia shook her head again, giving up.

"I like the elves idea," Tabitha said with a grin on her face. "I'm going to meet one some day and we'll get married."

"Then you'll have to live in the refrigerator," Libby reminded her. "You like the heat remember?"

"Crap," Tabitha muttered. 

"Look, a bunch of flowers," Teddy observed, tugging on Libby's sleeve. 

Tolerantly, she looked out the window. "Impressive. Flowers. What with there being dirt and all, one would never imagine."

He sighed. 

Delia smiled coolly. She sang softly and teasingly, "She's mad at you."

Libby looked up and met his sad gaze. He wanted reassurance. He wanted her to tell him that Delia was wrong and she had forgiven him. 

Suddenly she hated his simple eagerness. She hated how victimized he saw himself and she hated his simplistic, sincere sweetness. She felt her eyes tear away from his, not wanting to look at him anymore. 

"Sorry," she said. "Umm…do you want to like, go for ice cream or something later?"

He shook his head. "It's okay. You look tired."

"Well, thank you, that's just how my face is."

"I didn't mean you look bad," he insisted. "I just mean you look like you've had a long day."

"I did have a long day, sorry. I'm just a little snippy today," she told him. 

"Snippy?" he asked. "Is that another one of your Canadian words?"

"No, it's a universal word, thank you," she told him. "If I were to say aboot, though, then I would be speaking Canadianese."

"A boot? I have a boot. I use it to kick people."

"Abby, get your hands out of my hair!" Gordie yelled. 

"Are we even close to being home yet?" Libby asked. "Delia, I don't know how much more of your sister I can handle."

"_My _sister?" she demanded. "What about _your _sister? Tabitha's trying to eat a sucker with her nose!"

"Tabitha, you're going to get all sticky," Vern warned her. 

"Not if I plan this just right," Tabitha said, her eyebrows knit in concentration. 

"It's not going to work," Vern told her. "Your nose does not have a tongue or a mouth, therefore it cannot suck the sucker."

Tabitha laughed hysterically. "Say that again!"

"Tabitha, shut up, you're making an ass of yourself," Libby said. 

"I don't need you, you're not my friend," she grumbled. "You're not even my sister because I pretend that you're adopted. I'm going to make a sock puppet when I get home and he'll be my friend!"

"You can use Mr. Sock for many things," Vern told her. 

"Wanna help me make him?" Tabitha asked him. 

Chris tapped Libby on the shoulder and she turned around. "Is that ice cream offer open to anyone or just Teddy?"

She grinned. "You know how much I like ice cream."

Andie shot a look at her and then looked away again. 

Teddy, Andie, Chris, Libby, Delia and Tabitha all got off at the same stop. Tabitha was going to go to Andie's house, and Teddy invited himself along for ice cream with Libby and Chris. Since Teddy was going to be there, Libby decided to invite Delia so that it wouldn't be all awkward-y. 

Teddy tried to take Libby's hand but she shoved her hand in her pocket. He looked at her, almost wounded. 

She shrugged helplessly. "Sorry, sweaty hands," she said with a nervous laugh, and then she noticed Andie. 

Andie approached her like she owned the world and she had a definite mission. "Hey," she called, catching up to her and grabbing her arm. "Please don't think I don't know."

"About what?" she asked nervously, gently pulling her arm back. 

"You and my boyfriend."

"What about me and your boyfriend?"

Tabitha grinned. "That's right, Libby," she murmured to herself. "Just play dumb and no one will expect you're capable of anything."

Teddy smiled at her. "You're such a loving sister."

"What _about_ you and Chris?" Andie shrilled. "The fact that now that he's mad at me, you've decided that now is a good time to snatch him up." She stared at her coldly. 

Libby stared back, but not coldly, just blankly. "Um…okay." She shrugged and continued walking. 

"Libby!" Andie called after her again, catching up. "You liked him from the moment you got here, I know you have. So right now is a great time to seize the opportunity. He hates me, you're new and he doesn't know anything bad about you. You figure you're perfect for him."

Delia said, "Andie, don't."

"Screw you," she shot back. "What the hell do you know about relationships, Delia? The only thing you know how to do is get used by a guy."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You can think whatever you want about me, Andie. But don't approach Libby when you don't even know anything about what you're talking about."

"Libby is messing around with my boyfriend, so don't stick up for her just because she's your only friend," Andie said. 

"First of all Andie, Libby isn't messing around with Chris, but secondly, who the fuck are you to tell her she can't?" Tabitha demanded, surprising both Andie and Libby for different reasons. "You hurt him and you don't own him, so now you no longer have the right to tell him what he can and cannot do. You fucked up on your own. The world doesn't owe you anything, and it doesn't revolve around you either. "

"Crap," Libby muttered. "I'm gonna go before they start hurling monkey poop at me." She walked away, her shoulders slumped defeatedly. Teddy went with her.

Tabitha just stood there when Andie stormed off. Delia squeezed her arm reassuringly; knowing what it was like to lose a friend because of having to stick up for a sibling. 

Chris shook his head angrily and jogged to catch up to Andie.

That night, Libby snuck inside around eleven. She crept upstairs, moonbeams streaming in through the window like a spotlight, caught her foot on one of the steps and flew into the railing. "Shit," she murmured, getting back up. 

"Libby," Jake whispered from behind her. 

She whirled around, startled. "You scared the crap out of me, Jake. What do you want? It's late."

"Were you out getting laid?" he asked eagerly.

Libby tucked her hair neatly behind her ears. "Yes, Jake. I'll leave you with the images now. Goodnight." She laughed and went to her room. She closed the door gently behind her, so as not to wake her sister. She changed quickly into her nightshirt, praying that Tabitha wouldn't wake up and scream, "BOOBIES!" Before she slid under her covers, she looked at Tabitha to see if she really was sleeping. Then she curled her lip in revolt at the sight of her sister's mouth wide open and the drool on her pillow. "Tabby," she whispered, poking at her. 

Tabitha's mouth twitched at the sound of her name, and she muttered, "Bleurg…?"

"Wake up, you're drowning in your slobber."

Her eyes fluttered open, finally focusing on her. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"I'm your sister, remember?"

"I have no sister, only a hairy creature that snores."

"_YOU _snore, you stupid cow. I just yell 'Oh God oh God oh God' in my sleep."

"I don't snore," she mumbled. "And I'm not a cow, you stupid mule."

"You drool too," Libby informed her.

"Granted." Tabitha smiled tiredly. "Why did you wake me up?"

Libby shrugged. "Well, I was thinking…"

She giggled. "If you insist."

"I was thinking that you might actually be a nice sister."

"That would touch my heart if I wasn't so tired," she told her. 

"Thanks for sticking up for me."

Looking up at her with a faint smile, Tabitha said, "Blame it on a random mood swing."

"Sometimes you surprise me."

"Ahh, I surprise myself sometimes too." She sighed. "Andie hates me now. The things I do for you."

"It'll be okay, really."

"Why did Teddy follow you?"

"To break up with me."

"Oh."

"I wasn't very heartbroken though." 

"Chris went after Andie."

"Damn. Did they make up?"

"Don't know. Guess you'll find out tomorrow morning."

"I hate surprises."

"May I sleep now?"

"Whatever. Goodnight," she said, poking her in the eye because Tabitha couldn't see in the dark, therefore didn't see it coming. "Whoops, my bad."

"I will kill you for that," Tabitha grumbled. 

Libby dove under her blankets, and pressed the rosary her grandmother had given her years ago into her hand like she did every night. "Sure you will, Tabitha. Goodniiiiiight, Sugar-Booger!"

"Will you two _SHUT UP_?" Gage shouted from his room. 

"_SCREW YOU!" _Libby shouted back. 

Tabitha's voice was muffled from having her face in her pillow. "You'd think we'd kick you out of the family…"


	20. Lunch

School the next day sucked. A lot of the silent treatment was given. 

The only person who would sit with Libby at lunch was Delia. Tabitha didn't like to associate with her sister at school, so she and Vern ate by themselves because Andie wouldn't let Tabitha come near her. Andie, Abby, Gordie, Teddy and Chris sat together, which pissed Libby off. 

Libby stuck a carrot stick in her pile of mashed potatoes. She said in a low, monotonous voice, "And the potatoes fell on the orange man, thus ending his stupid life."

Delia looked up from her book. She eyed Libby's plate and asked, "What's with the carrot?"

Libby shrugged. "Boner."

Shaking her head, Delia went back to reading her book. 

"Your brother is a moron."

"I'm not ver impressed with him either."

"Why the hell would he go back to her?" she demanded, frustrated and furious. "She doesn't even have the decency to stop flirting with Teddy in front of him! Good God, does he think he deserves that kind of fucking treatment?"

"Chris said they're not back together. He just doesn't want to lose her completely."

Libby snorted. "I wouldn't mind losing her. In a jungle."

"Are you going to finish that?"

Vern looked up at Tabitha and then down at his pudding, which she was gesturing to. "Yeah." He did a double take at her disappointed face. "Oh, you wanted it? Oh! What I meant was EW! I don't want it! I hate pudding! Here!"

Grinning idiotically at him, she accepted it and peeled back the cover. "Thanks, Vern." She couldn't seem to stop smiling. "What are you doing after school?"

"Something with you?"

Tabitha giggled. "Oh. Good call."

"Poor thing keeps looking over here," Andie said with a smile. "It's rather sad and pathetic."

"Who?" Chris asked, glancing around. 

"Libby."

"Ah. I see."

"Maybe she's finally regretting coming here," she laughed. 

"I'd say she moreso regrets meeting you…" Chris murmured. 

Not hearing him, Andie said, "Probably wishes she could go back to wherever the fuck she came from."

"I highly doubt it," Chris told her calmly. "She told me about her father back home. Not the kinda guy you'd want to go back to."

"Ohh," Andie said. "Molestation?"

"I'm not telling you, Andie. It's none of your business. I'm just saying, her family is here to start over and get away from their dad."

"Well, if she _was_ molested, it sure would explain a lot."

"Like what?" he demanded. 

"Why she's so promiscuous."

"_She's_ promiscuous?" Chris muttered. 

"Why don't you just leave her alone?" Teddy snapped. 

Chris thought Teddy was talking to him, coming to Andie's defense, but when he looked up in anger, he saw Teddy glaring at Andie. 

"Don't condescend to her," Teddy said to her. "She can't help the way her father is. No one can help the way their fathers are."

"How sweet, both of Libby's white nights coming to the rescue."

Gordie stood up. "I'd like to know how _you_ always get what you want, Andie." He shook his head in contempt, picked up his tray and left. 

Abby watched, distraught and torn as Gordie walked away. How was she supposed to chose between her best friend and her boyfriend? Maybe she could go sit with Tabitha and Vern to show she wouldn't pick sides. But no--Andie hated Tabitha for not defending her yesterday. She even considered Delia, but then she realized that her last resort was sitting with Libby so that wouldn't work either. 

Chris noticed her discomfort. He rose to his feet. "Come on, Abb, we'll go see what's got Gordo's panties in a knot, okay?"

When they were gone, Teddy looked down at the table, and put his hand on Andie's trembling knee. Despite it all, Andie was a sweet girl, a hopeless romantic at heart, whose emotions controlled her. He knew what she was feeling right then: self-inflicted betrayal. The people that mattered most in her life--the people that loved her the most--had just left her. It was her fault and she knew it, which was why she was shaking right now. She was alone. She wasn't used to being alone. Teddy realized then that he loved her. 

"I want to stick by you, Andie," he said gently. "But I can't stop using people, and neither can you. Two wrongs don't make a right, so that's why I'm gonna have to go."


	21. a bunch of stuff happening all at once

"Dexter," Delia called. "Wait up!"

The tall, lean boy turned his head in the direction of Delia's voice. "Delia?"

"Yes." She caught up to him. "You might not want to cross the street right now."

"Oh," he muttered, blushing. "Thanks. I don't hear any cars passing though."

"No. There's construction though. It would be unfortunate if you were to fall in a hole or get run over by an earth mover."

Grinning as she held his arm in her hand to gently guide him, Dexter said, "It would be kinda funny though."

"That's true."

"So what are you doing this lovely Tuesday evening?" he asked her conversationally. 

"I just bought a new book. Step up." She waited while he cautiously stepped up onto the curb. "I should be studying for an English test, but I doubt I'll get around to it. I usually don't."

"You're smart enough that you don't need to study," he told her. 

"I'm not doing very well in geography."

"Hey, you could always get by on your looks. The world never tires of pretty faces."

She laughed, and he felt triumphant. Delia's laughter was rare and hard to get out of her. "Dexter, do I have to remind you that you're blind? I could be hideous and you'd never know."

"You could never be hideous, Delia, no matter what you look like. Take it from me, I know beauty when I see it."

"But you _can't _see."

"Exactly." He smiled sadly. "Anyway, everyone tells me that you're way too pretty to be cooped up in a town like Castle Rock."

"Yes, and that's probably the only nice thing anyone has to say about me," she said. She was not looking for pity. She was being truthful.

"Yeah, Delia, there's some unkind stuff people have to say about you," he said honestly. "If you don't want people thinking you're a bitch, then don't act like one."

"Hey, I've always been nice to you," she said defensively. 

"I know. I never said _I _thought you were a bitch. Remember? _I'm_ the one that said you were beautiful." A carefree smile was touching his somewhat vacant face. "Judging by the sound of the Shirelle's blasting and an off key voice singing, I'd say I'm just about home?"

"Yes." She grinned. "I'd shoot my sister if she sang that bad. I don't know how you live with Andie."

"Me neither," he laughed. "Do you want to come in for a bit?"

"Um…" Delia considered for a moment. "Your sister doesn't want me around."

"She's not the one inviting you over. I am."

She looked up at him, studying his face. Like his sister, he was good looking, but he didn't have that happy-go-lucky innocent look on his face that she always had. Instead, he was curious and alert, a little skeptical, but always approachable. Delia wondered why on Earth Dexter wanted to voluntarily spend time with her. 

"Yes," she replied at last. "As long as you don't let Andie try to murder me."

Abby was nursing a root beer, while Gordie was gobbling a milkshake and an order of fries at the Weiss' restaurant. 

"I am going into math overload," Abby was telling him. "It's all these stupid numbers that have absolutely no applicability and it's driving me nuts! I mean, if they insist upon shoving equations down my throat, they should at least make them challenging. Frick! I can't stop thinking about math! I keep counting everything! And it's like 'what's your name?' and I'm like 'Pi times r squared to the cubed root' and you can't tell me that that's healthy."

Gordie laughed, some of his milkshake dribbling down his chin. Still laughing, he wiped his mouth with a napkin. When Abby got into her rant modes, it was hard to understand her, but the zeal with which she bitched with always made him laugh. "That's what you get for taking honour's math."

"Grr. I know."

"Maybe you'll get stupid. There's always hope."

"Hope?" she scoffed and began to giggle. "I'm blowing chunks of hope."

He leaned back in his seat, laughing appreciatively. "Jeez, I love you, Abby."

She raised an eyebrow. "I just said a sentence that involved the words 'blowing chunks' and you're telling me you love me?"

"Yup. Want a French fry?"

"No." Abby, who was one of the smartest people he knew even though she thought of her academic ability as a burden, looked genuinely confused. "Why did you say that?"

"Um, because I do?"

"Well that was mean! You totally took me by surprise and now I'm all flustered!"

"Sorry. I was just looking at you, and listening to you laugh, and it kinda got to me." He shrugged. "Just because I said it doesn't mean you have to."

"Gordie! I love you, but I never said it because I didn't want to scare you away!"

"Well then." Gordie grinned, and slid into her side of the booth, stretching his arm around her shoulders. "I think this was a very successful evening snack, wouldn't you say?"

"I'll say. I'll eat some of your fries now."

"TABITHA!"

Tabitha turned up her music. Jay and the Americans had just started singing "This Magic Moment" and she loved that song. It reminded her of Vern. Plus, she had a crucial French test the next day and she was cramming. 

"TABITHA DAWN ST. PETER! ARE YOU JUST IGNORING ME?"

Grinning, she yelled back rather gleefully, "I'M _TRYING _TO!"

There was a knock on her door. She stuck her pencil behind her ear and jumped up to let her mom in. 

It wasn't her mother, however; it was Vern. "Hi."

"Yes!" she said by way of greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I got bored, and I thought maybe you'd like to go for a drive or something."

She grimaced. "I can't, sorry…I have a huge French test tomorrow…you could keep me company though if you like. Although I don't think that that would cure your boredom problem."

"Sure it would. You could teach me something new." He crossed the room and plopped down on her bed. "Tell me something in French."

"Uh…Bonjour!"

"I knew that one."

"Je suis, tres, tres French. Oui oui? Oh, oui oui! Je suis trey intelligent et charment."

"I didn't understand a word of that."

"Me neither." 

"I like this song!" Vern suddenly exclaimed. "Do you mind if I turn it up?"

"Go ahead." She watched as he got up and walked over to her record player, turning the volume up a few notches. 

Ignoring the slight blush creeping across his freckled face, he went up to her, laced his fingers through hers, and they swayed together, giggling. 

"This magic moment," Vern began to belt out loudly, in a voice much too deep for his range, causing Tabitha to throw her head back in laughter. "While your lips are close to mine, will last foreeeever, forever till the end of time--woahhhh woooahhh woahhhh--"

To shut him up, she pressed her lips to his. Vern decided that this was without a doubt much better than kissing her nose. 

Coming back from mailing a couple of letters for his aunt, Chris spotted Teddy walking towards his house from the opposite direction. He called out, "Hey Teddy."

Taking his eyes off the ground, Teddy gave Chris a small wave. "Hey Chris."

"What are you doing?" he asked when he got closer. 

"I was just going to see if your sister was home."

"My sister? You mean Delia?" 

"Yeah." Teddy shrugged in that careless but fetching way of his. "I've been thinking about some of the things she said to me, and I kinda want to patch things over with her."

Chris said in a dull voice, "God, Teddy, why can't you just let her be?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Chambers? I just want to talk to her."

"She's not home," he said angrily, and walked up the driveway. 

"Chris! Come on!" Teddy exclaimed exasperatedly. "This is bullshit! All I want to do is apologize to your sister and you're acting like I want to ravage her or something."

"Teddy, the kid's crazy for you, and you know that very well. She'll think you want to be with her again, and you'll take advantage of her. Don't deny it."

Teddy sighed. 

Chris asked him quietly, "Why do you gotta be this way, man?"

"Fuck off."

"Why do you have to use girls like this?"

"I said fuck off!"

"Like hell I will! One of the girls you've been playing around with is my sister! With guys like you and my fuckin old man hurting her and fucking with her head, she's never going to be able to trust completely trust a guy."

"She's a great person. I've never fucked with her head--"

"You _let_ her fall in love with you when you couldn't give a bigger shit about her, and then you fucked some girl from out of town! How is that not fucking with her head?"

"I want to make it up to her! She knows me better than I know myself, and I need someone like her!"

"That's just too fucking bad, because I'm not letting you come near her."

"What are you, her guardian?" Teddy snapped.

"I'm her brother." 

"Ooh."

"Brothers are supposed to protect their sisters from assholes like you."

Teddy's swing was wild, but his fist connected with the corner of Chris' jaw. Chris staggered, cursing loudly and rubbing at his jaw. The look in his eyes was enraged, wounded, confused and betrayed all at once. In a low, infuriatingly calm tone, he said, "I'm not going to fight you on my front lawn, Teddy."

"You were the best friend I had when we were kids, Chris," Teddy said, looking close to tears for a startling moment, but the moment soon passed. He took off his thick black glasses and rubbed at his eyes. "Will you at least tell her I stopped by for her?"

"I guess so." When Teddy was walking away, his hands jammed in his pockets and his shoulders rounded, Chris called, "We're _still_ friends, Teddy, man."

"Thanks," he muttered. 

"Hi, Delia," Andie said pleasantly, coming downstairs for a glass of milk and stopping in the living room when she saw Dexter and Delia were in there. 

Delia barely glanced up from the TV she was watching. "Hi."

"You're not allowed to kill Delia," Dexter announced. 

"Thanks for the hot tip, Quincy," Andie said, laughing uncertainly. 

"With that said, I'm going to go get some food. Anyone want anything?"

"No thank you," Delia said. She watched him as he left. Then she fixed her eyes on the TV, and did not look over as Andie took a seat on the couch next to her. 

"Delia?"

"Yes?"

"You're good friends with that new girl Libby, aren't you?"

"I refuse to do you any favours."

Andie shook her head. "I don't want to ask for one. I just want to ask you to clarify something that Chris told me about her at lunch yesterday."

"Fine."

"Did her dad really molest her?"

The colour drained out of her face as she whipped around to glare at her. "_Chris_ told you that?"

"No. But he didn't deny it."

"What kind of person _are _you?" Delia shouted, standing up so that she towered over Andie. "I know what you're doing, Andie. I'm manipulative myself, and I know when someone's trying to fuck me over. So your ex-boyfriend is interested in her! Maybe he even indulged upon that interest in her, so what? You have to dig up some gossip about her so that people can whisper about her and think to themselves, 'Oh my God, there goes the girl whose father made it with her, isn't that _gross.' _Go to hell, Andie!"

When Dexter came back with some cookies, he felt Andie brush past him, crying. "Delia?" he called to the empty room. But Delia was gone. 


	22. Talk

****

Author's Note: People might not like this chapter too much, but I've had this in mind since I started the story, and it's necessary. Hmm, so, if you don't like it, please do not flame me because I have a fear of fire :) 

"I have to talk to you," Delia barked, barging uninvited into her brothers' room. "Todd, get out."

Todd, the youngest Chambers kid, looked up at her, his jaw set in defiance until he saw the look on his older sister's face. "Okay," he murmured, flopped off his bed and scampered past her. 

Chris was seated at his desk, doing algebra homework. He stared up at Delia in concerned confusion. "What is it?"

"Where the hell do you get off spreading rumours about Libby?" she demanded, slamming his textbook shut. "Huh, goddammit? You had no right! She _confided_ in you, and you tell the world? That's not _like_ you, Chris, you're better than that!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked softly. 

"I'm talking about you telling your slut of an ex-girlfriend that Libby's father molested her!"

"I never told her that!" he insisted, his eyes wide and honest. "Andie said that she thought maybe Libby wished she could just go back to where she came from, and I said that Libby told me stuff about her old man and he wasn't the kind of person you'd wanna go home to. I didn't say that he _molested _her, Andie just thought that I was implying it."

"Why did you have to go and say _anything_?" Delia asked, her eyes filling up with tears. 

"I don't know. I'm sorry. It's not true though. Her dad was physically abusive but he wasn't sexually abusive." He laughed uneasily, a little frightened by his sister's tears. "Why are you getting so worked up about this?"

"It's not funny!" she cried. 

"I know it's not! Deelie, you're scaring me!"

"I was so scared for Libby," she whispered, holding her arms closely to herself like a small child. 

"They came here. She's fine." He peered at her closely. 

Delia's eyes were looking up at the ceiling as tears spilled down her cheeks. She managed to choke out, "Dad told me it was my fault. If I weren't so pretty…it wouldn't happen..."

Chris felt his heart sink. "Oh God no, Delia, please don't tell me this."

"I'm so sorry, Chris!" she cried, sobbing hoarsely. 

"You're sorry!" he yelled. "I let it happen! I didn't even know! Dammit Delia! Why didn't you say he was doing that to you?"

"I thought everyone would think it was my fault!"

"You were just a little girl! He's an adult! Even if he'd had your _consent_, it would be his fault. You were a little _girl_, Delia, you were just a kid."

She shook her head wildly, trying to wipe the tears away. "I didn't want to, I really didn't mean to--"

"I'm so sorry," he said, jumping up from his chair and wrapping her up into a hug. Her back was full of tension at first until she hugged him back and he felt her go limp. "If I'd have known, I wouldn't have allowed it to happen, you have to believe me."

"I do, Chris," she murmured. 

"Because I love you, you know that, right?" he asked. She nodded. He felt himself wanting to cry as he said, "I'm your brother. I'm supposed to protect you from assholes like him."


	23. 23 minutes

11:11 AM

Libby studied her reading list and searched for John Steinback's Grapes of Wrath. The school library was small and it smelled like dust and it made her want to sneeze. She had to pick a book from the list her teacher had given her and do a book report over Christmas, and she was not pleased about this. Christmas was not for another few weeks, but Libby was not much of a reader so she figured she should get a head start. But Grapes of Wrath sounded good because grapes were her favourite fruit. 

Finally, her fingers skimmed over the spine of the right book. She pulled it off the shelf and flipped through the pages. The print was too small. 

A hand clasped around her elbow and she jumped, dropping the book. She spun around to see Chris standing behind her, looking tired and tousled.

"Sorry," he said, picking up the book and handing it to her. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't," she muttered, even though her heart was beating fast, although she couldn't tell if that was from being startled or because Chris was there with her. Maybe both. 

"How are you?" he asked her. 

"Good. I'm going to read a book about fruit!"

He eyed the book. "The Grapes of Wrath? That's about the Great Depression."

"Is it?" she asked. "Dammit!"

"It's okay, slightly boring, but okay. I could help you with it if you want." He let his eyes meet hers, and she saw something was wrong. "Can I ask you something?"

Chris looked so sad and conflicted. "Of course," she said, taking his cold hand in hers. 

"Say you've got a…friend. And that friend had a problem a few years ago that no one new about and it's over now. And say this friend tells you what happened…and you think that you should tell someone because you don't think this said friend would ever stop hurting until he or she gets help. But he or she doesn't want anyone else to know." He rested his head against the bookshelf. "What would you do?"

"Is it a matter of life or death?"

"No. But it's serious."

"Will you tell me who this friend is?"

"No."

She let out a long sigh. "I'm the wrong person to ask about what _I _would personally do."

"Why?"

"Because I'd do the wrong thing and not tell. I've done it before."

1:14

Andie was looking out the window at the clouds. 

She was not herself today. She didn't hear a word that Mrs. Smith was saying at the front of the room. Her skirt was rumpled, her blouse was wrinkled, and her hair was a disaster. 

She felt like crying. 

She was ruining everything in her life. Why did she have to be this way? Why did she think she was so much better?

This was the one class she had with Delia: Chemistry. Andie glanced over at her, feeling bad for upsetting her the night before. Delia sat with her back rigid, apparently ignoring the boy next to her that was staring at her. She looked perfectly calm and collected, like she was a whole world apart from everyone else. She was beautiful, as her brother was, but only in a different way. She was beautiful in an untouchable way, whereas Chris just had a worldly quality about him that she was so in love with. 

__

So in love with? Andie thought, and was suddenly struck with a hatred for herself_. _

There was something about the Chambers family. It was vulnerable and strong, and Andie couldn't figure out why she continued to hurt them.

11:15

Praying that someone wouldn't walk by, Libby's hands moved up and down Chris' back as he kissed her. She didn't feel so much like sneezing anymore.

11:18

"Teddy, would you take the attendance down to the library?" Mr. Donahue, the mechanics teacher, asked towards the end of the third period class.

Teddy obliged; thinking this was good timing. He could run and hand the attendance in, and then go out for a smoke before the lunch bell rang. That way, the lunch supervisors wouldn't be prowling around the parking lot looking for someone to bust for smoking. 

He walked quickly down the hall into the library. He hated the smell of the place, and he immediately sneezed three times. The attendance sheet in hand, he maneuvered his way around the tables and studying students, dropped it on the librarian's desk and then decided to go out the far door because it was the closest exit. He heard some giggling as he approached a row of bookshelves. Glancing towards the sound, he saw Chris and Libby making out, pressed up against all the dusty books. 

"Holy crap," he said. 

They flew away from each other, both blushing furiously and looking guilty. "Uh…we were reading," Libby said lamely. 

"Niiiice," he chuckled. "I'll leave you alone to read now."

11:20

Taking a long drag, Teddy exhaled deeply. This cigarette wasn't doing it for him. 

Why did he feel so jealous? He'd broken up with Libby before he'd never really felt too much for her besides idle curiosity. Besides, he was thinking that he might be a little interested in Delia again. She was hot, for starters, but she also understood him, which was nice. But seeing Libby with Chris almost hurt his feelings. Maybe he just always wanted what he couldn't have. 

11:25

The lunch bell rang. 

11:26

Gordie found Abby, kissed her, and sat at a different table than usual. They could both feel Andie's eyes on them when they didn't sit with her, but they ignored it despite their guilt. 

11:26

Tabitha and Vern entered a janitor's closet.

11:28 

Delia looked around for Libby. 

11:28

Andie looked around for _anyone._

11:29

Delia spotted Libby. She was talking to Chris by the lunch room doors. They were both blushing. She watched them as they left the lunch room together. 

11:32

Teddy decided to cut the rest of the day. 

11:33

Delia was tired of being alone. She picked up her tray.

11:33

Andie didn't want to eat alone. She was lonely and she wanted a friend. She picked up her tray.

11:33

Delia and Andie intercepted each other. 

"Well, well," Delia said smugly. "You look like a little lost sheep. Where's your herd?"

Andie's eyes were soft with tears. "I'm sorry, Delia. For everything. For last night, for Chris…"

"No, you're not. But if you're looking for someone to sit with, I could help fix that."

11:34

The noon sun made Libby and Chris shield their eyes when they stepped outside. They turned to each other, neither sure how to start.

Unhooking his thumbs from the loopholes of his jeans, he held her closely to him. It was close to Christmas; the winter air was crisply and bitingly cold. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms to help her get rid of her goosebumps. "Libby, I can't help loving Andie."

"That's because you're insane. I don't hold it against you."

"I want you to know that, okay?" He looked at her gently, taking in her soft high cheekbones, her expectant green eyes, and her lips the colour of a blush. "I think of her a lot, even when I'm with you. But I also want you to know that since you've gotten here…I don't know, Libby, but I'm very taken with you. I don't know if you know how incredible you are, but I _do_ know, and…I can't forget Andie. And if you don't want to be with me because you feel like the rebound girl, I'm okay with that. I can wait."

Libby looked down at the ground, thinking to herself for a long moment. She played with a strand of her wildly curly blond hair. "Chris--" She rested her head against his chest defeatedly. "You're going to wait for _Andie._ Not me."

"I'd never go back to her."

She shook her head. "You know you don't have to wait for me."

"So…what you're saying is…?"

"I'm okay with being the rebound girl, as you so aptly put it."

"You're more than that to me, alright?"

"That would be nice."

"Are we just using each other?" he asked quietly. 

"Everyone uses everyone else. It's a way of life." She sighed. "That friend you were talking about before, you love him, right?"

"Her."

"Oh, it's not Gordie?"

"No, it's not Gordie." Chris rested his chin on the top of Libby's head. "But, yeah, I love her."

"Then help her. Do whatever it takes."


	24. Flakey the Leper

Abby bounced around the living room, throwing garland everywhere. "On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me _SIX COSMIC DEATH RAYS_--"

"_ABBY!"_ Chris hollered. 

It was Christmas Eve. Aunt Marian thought it would be cute to invite the kids' friends over for a Christmas Eve party. Chris was quite sure that this would not be a good idea, but didn't have to heart to tell her that. It was an almost guaranteed disaster, considering she'd made him invite both Andie and Teddy. So needless to say, he wasn't in the holiday spirit, unlike Abby. 

The front door opened and shut and Chris heard someone stomping their shoes on the welcome mat. 

"It's nippy out there," Delia announced breathlessly, her hair lightly sprinkled with snowflakes. She was coming home from her weekly session with her brand-spanking new counselor, something she didn't like talking about, and she hadn't told any of her friends about. But her family could tell it was helping. Delia was becoming much more…human. Secretly, Delia was so grateful to Chris for telling her aunt and uncle even though she'd been severely pissed at first.

Chris looked at her, exasperated. He had tinsel in his hair. "Just to warn you, Abby's singing. But I think she's finally on the Twelfth Day of Christmas so it'll be over soon."

On cue, Abby belted out, "On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me _TWELVE MILLION DOLLARS, _eleven zombies lurching, ten cobras spitting--"

"Enough, Abby!" Uncle Gregg cried. "Sing something else."

Delia walked into the living room, immediately feeling warm and welcome when she saw the fireplace alive with a crackling fire. "Need any help, Abby?"

"Eat this candy cane," Abby said, throwing one to her. She took one look at her sister and despised her. The winter chill had put colour into her perfectly pale skin, and she looked even better wind-blown than usual, if that was possible. It sucked growing up with a sister as unparalleled as Delia. She shook off the wave of jealousy, "Okay, this next one is to be sung to the tune of Frosty the Snowman."

"Oh God," Uncle Gregg muttered. He was hanging up stockings and occasionally poking at the fire. 

"Flakey the Leper," Abby sang brightly. "Didn't even have a nose!"

The doorbell rang; just as Abby launched into a verse discussing Flakey the Leper trying to fly off a stump only to lose his only remaining eyeball. Delia and Chris ran to answer it, praying that Abby would not sing in front of company. 

Andie and Dexter were the first to arrive. 

"Hi," Delia greeted them, mostly ignoring Andie. "Come in. I'm glad you're here. Sister Sunshine is driving me insane. We're about to throw Abby into the oven."

"That could be colourful," Dexter said. 

"Hi, Chris," Andie said quietly. 

Chris smiled politely. "Hey Andie. Merry Christmas."

They stood there awkwardly. The smell of turkey filled the air, as did Abby's obnoxious singing, Uncle Gregg's occasional expletive when he hammered his thumb, and Delia and Dexter's laughter. 

Chris suddenly felt bad for Andie. She was pretty much alone. Delia had never cared for her, while Abby was just beginning to pull away from her. When the St. Peter sisters arrived it would suck even more for Andie, what with Libby currently dating her ex-boyfriend and Tabitha still thinking Andie was mad at her. 

Chris shrugged, feeling the need to make her feel better. "Do you want to help me finish hanging the tree ornaments?"

A genuine smile lit up her face. She nodded, gratefully, and followed him to the living room. 

"Hi Abby," she said. 

Abby turned. She had completely wrapped herself in garland. "Hi Andie. I'd stay to talk, but I have a burning desire to pester Dexter and Delia." She hopped way, and Uncle Gregg followed after her, telling her firmly to leave her sister alone. 

"So how's Libby?" Andie asked nonchalantly, hanging a red glass ball ornament on a high branch. 

"Don't Andie," he sighed. "Let's not get into that. It's hard enough staying friends with you when you're so mean to her."

"You're using her, Chris."

"She knows exactly what's going on. I'm not using her. I genuinely care about her."

"Do you love her?"

"Stop trying to make this harder than it already is!" He shook his head. "You just want me to tell you that I can't love her yet because I love you."

Andie sighed. She loved Chris. She felt it so painfully then. But she did love him, in spite of everything she'd put him through. 

"I was happy with you, Andie. That's why it's taking so long to stop being sad. But Libby is helping me," he told her. "I…She's a huge change from you. And I gotta admit, it's a good change.

"Ouch," she laughed sadly. 

Vern and Tabitha got there next. 

"Umm, I think you forgot someone," Chris said uncertainly. 

"Who, Libby?" Tabitha scoffed. "She was taking too long bundling up. So I left."

"That was nice of you." He grinned at Vern. Hey Verno. How's it going?"

"Goodly!" Vern said. He watched as Tabitha ventured further inside to mingle. "Oh man, Tabitha is _great_. Sincerely. Oh man."

"I guess she's pretty hot, yeah." Chris shrugged. 

"No shit!" Vern agreed.

"Gordie," Chris said when his best friend showed up. "Thank God. Your girlfriend will not stop singing. Actually she ate a bowl of Cheerios for a few minutes, and then she went back to singing again."

"I'm sorry I missed it." Gordie grinned at Chris. "Merry Christmas."

"Thanks. They stood, smiling for a moment until Abby broke the silence with another song, this time a mockery of "O Christmas Tree."

"O Cannibals, O Cannibals! What will you eat for Christmas? Of Cannibals, O Cannibals! You start to make me nervous!"

"Hey I taught her that!" Gordie said proudly. 

"Gordie?" Abby called, hearing his voice. 

"Abby?" Gordie called back in a high voice, mocking her. 

"GOOOOORDEEEEE!" Abby squealed, running out of the kitchen to him. 

"ABBBEEEEEE!" he mocked her again. He swept her up into a hug. "Merry Christmas!"

"I'll say!"

The doorbell rang again, and Chris opened the door to see Libby, adorned in a poncho, a toque, a couple of scarves, and huge mittens. 

"Holy shit. You look like you're dressed for the Ice Age."

"Have you been outside today?" she asked. 

He eyed her mittens. "Can I call you Big Paw now?"

"If you want to die."

He hugged her tightly, breathing in the fresh smell of winter in her hair. "Merry Christmas, Libby."

"Whatever. You too."


	25. Mistletoe Incident

Teddy didn't show up until after they'd all eaten. He immediately took to Andie's side, and he was shy for once. 

"Delia," Aunt Marian called from the kitchen. "Will you bring the egg nog out to the living room for me?"

Rolling her eyes, Delia set her empty plate down on the floor and stood up, dusting crumbs off her clothes. 

"Want help?" Dexter asked her. 

Smiling to herself as she looked down at him, she knew that he probably wasn't really interested in lending a hand, he just didn't have any other friends. He was out of place being the oldest in the group. "I would love some." She helped him get to his feet and led him to the kitchen. In his own home, he moved around as effortlessly as a sighted person, but he had never been to the Chambers' home, so he was pretty helpless. 

Taking up the punch bowl in her arms, she asked Dexter if he minded carrying the plastic cups. 

"Egg nog?" Tabitha cried. "Yum!"

She and Vern immediately poured themselves glasses, filling them to the top. 

"Delia," Dexter said softly, holding onto her familiar arm. "Would you care to show me where your bathroom is?"

"Sure," she said, guiding him down the hall, not talking so that he could count the steps to find his way back. She decided she liked taking care of him even if he didn't like being taken care of. "Oh my."

"What?" he asked. "Did we lose the bathroom?"

"No. Mistletoe."

A grin spread across his face. "Is this just an excuse to kiss me or are we really standing under mistletoe?"

She smiled her distantly aloof smile. "You'll never know."

Dexter's hand touched her shoulder, and then moved up to her cheek until his fingers brushed her lips. 

He was very close now. She closed her eyes and felt a softness on her lips. The muscles in her back and shoulders tensed up as her arms went around him. 

Delia kissed him back. 

Teddy's first reaction when he saw Dexter and Delia together was, "This is the second time in two weeks I've had the pleasure of walking in on someone."

Teddy's second reaction could only be construed as jealously. He lunged forward as they pulled away and saw him. Under other circumstances it would've been funny because he looked like an enraged Superman minus the cape. 

But it wasn't funny when one of his clenched fists connected with Dexter's nose. Delia screamed as Dexter went down limply. "Teddy! What the fuck!"

"Oh damn," Teddy muttered, berating himself silently. 

"What is wrong with you?" she yelled. 

"With _me?_ What's wrong with _you?_ What are you doing with the blind wonder?"

"Don't you dare condescend to Dexter!" she shouted, and he flinched. Delia never really shouted or became angry. She was the type to deliver a few cheap shots guaranteed to alienate and hurt feelings to spare her own. "And don't give me some crap about you being _jealous!"_

Since Teddy and Delia were busy yelling at each other, Andie was the first to run down the hall and kneel at Dexter's side. The others were laughing and listening to music. She was being excluded from the conversation, so she was the only one to hear the fight. "Hey," she murmured. "You okay, Dex?"

He sat up, holding his nose. "Ow."

Delia looked down at the brother and sister. Andie was softly reassuring him that he wasn't bleeding. Dexter was holding onto her arm. Delia shook her head angrily at Teddy and dropped to her knees, running her fingers through Dexter's soft brown hair. 

Andie glanced up, noticing Teddy for what seemed like the first time. "What exactly happened here?"

"I had to pee," Teddy said. "I come down the hall and these two are making out.

Andie grinned and mussed up her brother's hair affectionately. "Atta boy."

"Thank you Andie," he said back mildly. 

"I didn't even know you liked Delia," she giggled. 

"Well, I do," he admitted. "That, and there's mistletoe."

"Mistletoe?" Andie looked around. "Where? I don't see any mistletoe."

"Andie," Delia growled, blushing. "Shut up."

"Oh!" She grinned. "THAT mistletoe!"

Teddy raked his hands through his hair. "I have to go."

"Teddy," Delia sighed. "You don't have to."

"Yeah I do. Enjoy your party. No hard feelings."

Dexter called out cheerfully, "Merry Christmas, Teddy!"

Delia and Andie both looked at Dexter tenderly. Maybe the girls actually had something in common. They both loved Dexter.

"Hey," Libby called when the three of them returned. "Teddy left."

"Yes, we know," Delia said. "He hurt Dexter's face."

Abby beamed. "It's not a party until something gets broken."

"But I'm _just fine_," Dexter said. "Nobody get up or anything."

Tabitha found out that she loved egg nog and it made her very happy. She had finished most of the bowl on her own, with some help from Vern. 

"I wanna go home with Teddy," she decided, already slurring.

Gordie glanced over at Libby. "She gets drunk this fast? She's only been drinking for seven minutes."

"I guess so. She's never been drunk before so this comes as a surprise to me too."

"I'm not DRUNK," Tabitha exclaimed, going to pour herself another glass.

"No, no, no," Gordie said, taking the glass away. "I'm cutting you off."

Tabitha stared at him in confusion and then looked at Chris, wide eyed. "Your boyfriend is very stodgy."

Libby buried her face in her hands. 

"This is a terrible party," Abby announced. "The blind guy got hurt, the best partier among us went home at seven o'clock, and only one person is drunk and she's not even dancing with a lamp shade on her head."

"Sorry, Abby," Gordie said, not very sorry at all. "Would you like me to dance around with a lamp shade on my head?"

"Will you be naked when you do this?"

Chris buried his face in his hands.

"No, probably not," Gordie replied. 

"Then I probably don't want you to dance."

Libby got off the recliner she and Chris were squeezed into. She patted him on the head. "I'm going to go get a glass of milk."

"Why?"

"Don't question me." She smiled at him. "Delia, I need your help with the milk."

Delia eyed her strangely, but followed her to the kitchen. 

"Hello, don't' mind us," Delia said cheerfully to her aunt and uncle, who were talking over a bottle of wine. She opened the fridge door and peered in. "What's all this about?" she whispered to Libby behind the fridge door.

"I never knew you knew how to blush," Libby whispered back. 

Delia stared at her in disbelief. "You're too damn smart for your own good, Libby."

"I am not smart," she said firmly, grinning. "I'm just very observant."

"I should stop hanging around. I'll never be able to keep a secret."

"I kinda thought you liked Andie's brother."

"He's not 'Andie's brother,' Libby, his name is Dexter."

"Are you trying to refrigerate the whole neighbourhood?" Delia's uncle asked pleasantly. 

"Yes, sir," Delia replied. 

"So what happened?" Libby asked eagerly. 

"I was showing him where the bathroom was--"

"Doing it in the bathroom," Libby said appreciatively. "I approve!"

"No, you sick monkey!" she laughed, and slapped her when she began to giggle so hard that she choked. "Shh!"

"It's so ROMANTIC though!" Libby cried. "Two sweating bodies amid the potpourri and toilet paper--wait, it was just the two of you, right?"

"No. Andie and Teddy got in on it too," Delia said sarcastically. "Anyway. I told him we were standing under mistletoe."

Libby's laughter was so out of control that all she could was snicker and convulse. Sex in the bathroom was funny. "Sex in the bathroom is funny," she said out loud.

"I didn't have sex in the bathroom!" Delia snapped. 

"Good to know!" Aunt Marian called. 

Delia glared at her friend. 

"Sorry." Libby held up her hands in surrender, although tears from laughing streamed down her cheeks. "Tell me about your mistletoe now."

"Thank you." She sighed, frustrated. Libby had too much energy for her liking. "Okay. I told him we were standing under mistletoe."

"But there really wasn't and you made it up because he's blind!" Libby began to cackle again. 

"Shh, it's not very nice to make fun of blind people."

"It's not very nice to lie to them either just so that you can MAKE OUT with them either."

"Granted." She grinned. "He didn't put up too much of a struggle though."


	26. Christmas Day

Tabitha woke up with a pounding headache and an incredible thirst. She rolled over onto her side, groaning in misery. 

So this was a hangover, she realized. She remembered very little from the night before, although she did recall saying, "Take me drunk, I am home!" 

Mrs. St. Peter burst into the room. "Quick, Tabitha, come downstairs! Santa came!"

"Rrr," she growled. As she sauntered into the bathroom and saw her unpleasant reflection in the mirror, she cursed whoever came up with the bright idea to spike eggnog with rum. 

After her family opened presents and they had the usual Christmas breakfast, Andie said to her dad, "I'm going to go for a walk, okay? I won't be long."

"Take your new toque, honey," Mr. Weiss. "Don't want your ears to fall off."

"Nope, that would look quite funny." Andie pulled the toque over her head, threw her jacket on and opened the door to the biting December air. 

Chris hung up the phone and said, "Gordie and me are going tobogganing. If anyone wants to come they'd better hurry their asses up."

"Chris!" Aunt Marian scolded. 

Abby looked up from her pancakes. "Where are you getting the toboggans from?"

"Uh, we'll use cardboard boxes or something."

Delia poured syrup over Todd's pancakes for him. "Garbage can lids work better."

"Since when do you know how to have fun?" Abby exclaimed. 

"Oh I _don't_, Abby, but if you take into consideration aerodynamics and ductility, it only makes _sense_," she replied sarcastically. 

Chris was already dressed. "I'm leaving now," he called from the landing. 

"Chris, wait!" Abby shouted. 

"I told you to hurry!"

Abby ran to put her dishes in the sink and dropped her fork on her foot. "Jesus Christ!" 

"Abigail Chambers!" Aunt Marian barked. 

"Since when is saying Jesus Christ on Christmas a sin?" she shot back. 

Delia fluttered her eyelashes at her younger sister. "Swearing hurts baby Jesus."

"GoodBYE," Chris yelled. 

"Nooo!" Abby cried. She ran to the landing to put on her jacket and other wintry clothing items. "Delia, you're not coming?"

"Hell no."

"What is with you potty mouths this morning?" Aunt Marian asked. 

"We could see if _Dexter_ wants to come," Abby sang teasingly. 

"You want to take a blind man tobogganing?" Delia asked. 

"Good point. Bye!"

"Hi Mrs. St. Peter," Chris said. "Is Libby home?"

Mrs. St. Peter put a hand self-consciously on the curlers in her hair. "Yeah, I'll go get her." She disappeared into the house, and a few moments later Libby zoomed into view, sliding across the hardwood floor. She didn't seem to know how to stop so she crashed into a hat rack. "Hi!" she chirped. "I got new socks. I've already skinned my knee doing that."

"That's great," Chris told her, grinning. "Me and Abby just want to know if you want to come tobogganing with us and Gordie. Tabitha too if she's not too hung over."

"Ohh, she's too hung over, believe me," she laughed. "And I'd love to, but I'm helping my little brother set up this stupid train set piece of crap thingy and it would be very un-Christmassy to abandon him."

"Dammit. I hate your conscience." He looked at his sister. "Okay kid, let's go get Gordie."

"Woooh!" Abby squealed. 

After Teddy's mother let her in, Andie tromped downstairs and knocked on his door. 

Inside his room, she heard a loud crash and muttered curses. 

"Teddy, are you all right?" she called. 

Teddy pulled open his door. "Andie! I'm great! Never been better. I like your hat."

"Cut the shit. You're drunk."

He giggled. "'Tis the season to be jolly."

"It's not even noon yet!" she exclaimed. 

"Just getting a head start."

"For _what?"_ Andie glared at him and took a cheap shot. "You want to end up like your old man?"

"Hey, my father--"

"Stormed the beach in Normandy, I _know,"_ she said. "But he was also a drunk who nearly killed you a couple of times and now he's up in Togus. Why can't you see what drinking can do to people?"

"I don't need a Just Say No talk from the holy virgin slut."

"Shut up!" Andie yelled. Teddy had never seen her so angry before. "You totally change when you're drunk and it scares me!"

"Like hell you even give a shit, _Andrea_," he snapped. 

Andie stared at him fiercely. Then she snatched him up by the arm and pulled him into the bathroom. "Look at yourself. You think it doesn't hurt me to see you like this?"

Teddy looked into his bloodshot eyes. His white shirt was splattered with something and a shiny layer of sweat glistened on his forehead. The fluorescent lights weren't helping matters much either. 

Suddenly he couldn't struggle anymore. It was too hard. He collapsed into Andie's arms, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. "I tried to stop, Andie."

Andie hugged him close. "I know you did."

"I don't want to be this way."

"It's okay, Teddy," she promised, leading him back to his bedroom, where she pushed him gently down into his bed. She sat by his head and stroked his sandy coloured hair. "I won't let you fade. I'm going to help you, okay?"

He nodded. "I love you," he said quietly. 

"I love you too, Teddy."

Teddy didn't believe her, but he fell asleep with her hands in his hair. 

Garbage can lids did work better. Cardboard boxes got soggy. 

Chris, Gordie and Abby were perched at the top of the hill, looking at each other with competition in their eyes and holding on tightly to the rim of their makeshift sleds. "On your mark," Chris announced, "Get set, go!"

Chris had made a mistake agreeing to race against the two smallest lightweight champions of the world. He trailed behind, laughing as Abby pulled into the lead, screaming at the little kids to get out of the way. 

"Jesus!" Chris shouted, plowing into a snowman two kids were making on the hill, decimating it. He tumbled for awhile, stopped, and was about to go back to apologize but the kids starting throwing snowballs at him. So he turned around and ran. 

He spotted Gordie making out with his baby sister in the snow, probably melting all the snow around them. "Jesus! He yelled again. "Come on, the little monsters are trying to kill me for making heir snowman explode!"

Gordie paused just above Abby's smiling lips. "Who in their right mind builds a snowman on a toboggan hill?" Abby grinned and tilted her head back in the snow to look up at Chris. 

Chris got pelted with a snowball. "Hey!" He looked down at Gordie and Abby. "Are you coming or what? Because I'm going."

"Sigh," Abby said dramatically, gently pushing Gordie off of her. "I hate you, Chris."

"You do not," he laughed, another snowball hitting him in the leg. "I need to hide."

The Tessios went over to the St. Peter's house sometime in the afternoon. Jeannie immediately fell in love with Jake's train set and they played upstairs out of everyone's way. 

"Feeling any better?" Vern asked, grimacing at Tabitha's haggard appearance. 

"Nope," she said. "I'm drugged with Midol though."

"Gross! You take Midol for hangovers?"

"No. But Libby's Christmas joy pisses me off and I thought maybe Midol would help my bad mood." She grinned, with some strain. "But now _you're_ here so I can stop popping pills."

"Yeah, I was kinda worrying that maybe you had a substance abuse problem." He smiled softly, kissed the top of her head and said, "Come on. Allow my fingers to assist you."

"PARDON me?" Libby demanded. Tabitha and Vern noticed that she was still there. 

"I do very good head massages."

"PARDON me?"

"Like this!" Vern reached out and massaged Libby's temples, causing her eyes to roll back, a smile crossing over her face. 

"Ahhh…" she purred. 

"Hey! No purring at my boyfriend!" Tabitha snapped. 

"Fine. I'll go find Gage since neither you nor Jake wants to play with poor me." She called, "Gage! The other two hate me! I thought I'd try my luck with you."

Gage flicked her on the forehead, grabbing her jacket. "Sorry kiddo. Billy and me are gonna go meet his friends to play pool.

"On Christmas?" she asked, looking Vern's older brother Billy up and down as he also looked her up and down. 

"Well yes," he said, and checked his watch. "Might be there for some of Boxing Day too."

Libby didn't know how much she liked the idea of Gage hanging around Billy Tessio's group of friends. 

Delia agreed to meet Dexter Christmas evening to go for a walk. 

When she reached the meeting place, he was already there, sitting on a park bench with his collapsible cane folded on his lap. She tried to approach him quietly, but he recognized the sound of her walk and said, "You got perfume for Christmas?"

She grinned to herself. "My odour is that powerful?"

"I like it. Smells like honeydew." He stood up and stretched out a hand in her general direction for her. She took it, loving the feel of his gloves against her bare skin. "Are we walking anywhere in particular?"

"Should we be?" she asked, noticing he wasn't using his cane as he usually did when he was outside. He trusted her. 

"I'm with you. It doesn't matter."

Delia resisted the urge to giggle. 

"Oh, I forgot to commend you on the mistletoe scheme."

Glad he couldn't see her blush, she said, "I was hoping you would forget that. It would have worked too you know, if it hadn't been for Teddy."

"Ah, Teddy." Dexter smiled. "What a gentleman."

"I can't believe he hit you," she said, a touch of disappointment in her voice. 

"Well, I certainly didn't see it coming."

"I know. It's not funny. He kind of took advantage of you. It's like kicking someone when they're down. You couldn't fight back."

"I'm not a cripple, Delia."

"I know that. But you couldn't defend yourself."

"Don't worry about it," he said. "If getting punched in the nose is what I have to put up with to be with you, I'll take it. Until I start to get brain damage or something."

She laughed, leaned over and kissed his cheek. 

He blinked in surprise. He hadn't seen that one coming either. 


	27. unloved

"Oh shit," Libby muttered, spotting Andie as she browsed through the Clearance racks on Boxing Day. Andie was inspecting a pair of oven mitts that looked like they had cows on them about ten feet away from her. Not wanting to run and look obvious, Libby pretended to be engulfed in the 50% off coasters.

"You wanna know what my New Year's resolution is?" Andie asked, coming up behind her silently, moving with a startling seductiveness. 

Her heart beating wildly, Libby set the coasters down. "What," she said indifferently. 

"To apologize to you," she replied, her vice calm and cold. 

Surprised, Libby looked up at her with a challenging light in her eyes. "So do it."

Shrugging, Andie said, "Your New Years resolution is supposed to be something that's hard to do. Just wanted to let you know I'm working on it."

As Andie turned to leave, Libby called, "You're a bully, you know that?"

"I'm a bully?" she demanded, whirling around, her deceivingly sweet face flushed with alarmed anger. "How am I a bully, Libby?"

"You have to be better than everyone around you. You let them get to know you, care about you, and then you push them away in the way you know is going to hurt them the most. With Chris, you cheated on him with a guy that he didn't trust in the first place, making him feel unloved and second best. With me, you just tried to get me to feel isolated in a place I was already foreign too. I don't know what you're planning on doing to Teddy, but I'll be sure to stay tuned." She tilted her head, curious and amused. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Andie's eyes looked dark and disturbed. "Not about Teddy," she said with a bitter voice filled with caged emotion. 

"You'll just get him drinking again," Libby said before she could stop herself. 

Andie had to curl her hands into fists and dig her nails into her palms to restrain herself from hitting this bitch. She said shakily, "Chris is never going to love you."

"Fuck you, okay?" she sighed, wanting to go home. "I take back what I said."

"He loves me more now than he'll ever love you and I treated him like shit." She smiled viciously. "There. Now I've made _you_ feel unloved and second best too."

"Thanks. Thank you. I appreciate that." Libby brushed past her so that she bumped her roughly and muttered, "Fucking bitch."


	28. stronger

Upset, Libby walked past her house on the way home from the mall, heading for the Chambers' house. She ran up the porch steps and rapped urgently on the door. All she wanted was to speak to Delia. Delia was the best friend she had, and she needed a friend. 

Abby threw open the door, as always looking genuinely happy to see her. "Libby! What do you want? Yay! I didn't know you were even coming over!"

Libby had to bite her lip to keep the tears away. "Um," she said in an uneven, scratchy voice. "Is Delia here? I need to talk."

"Nope," she said. "She and Dexter are off doing God knows what."

"Oh." She felt her knees shaking terribly. 

"Do you want to come in? Me and Gordie and Chris are playing fuckin Monopoly. We don't know why exactly, but we are."

Chris came up beside his sister, and smiled at Libby. "Hey. I thought I heard your voice."

Seeing Chris made Libby's stomach flop. She had to leave or else she would break down in front of him and she just couldn't. 

"You okay, Libby?" he asked, gently pulling her inside the house. 

Abby glanced at Chris in concern, who gave her a pointed look and she walked away back to Gordie in the living room. 

"What's wrong?" he tried again.

"Nothing, I just wanted Delia--"

"Well, now you've got me." He tried to make eye contact with her but was unsuccessful. "Tell me about it, Libby."

"No, I don't want to get into this with you."

"That's too bad, because you're worrying me and you're going to tell me what's going on."

"Chris!" Gordie yelled. "Your turn!"

"I forfeit!"

"But you're winning!"

"That's okay!" He took Libby by the hand and led her to his bedroom. He sat her down on his bed. "Okay. Now talk to me."

"I just…" She floundered for a moment, searching for the words. "It's so hard to get people here to love me."

"What?" Chris asked. 

"You don't understand what it's like playing second fiddle to Andie," Libby spat out. "You'll never stop wanting her more than me and she is _such_ a…" She shook her head fiercely, weakening under Chris' amazed stare. "You don't _look_ at me like you look at her still sometimes because she's beautiful, and I don't know, I'm not…"

"Libby, stop it. God. Just stop it." Chris felt sick and frustrated. "You _are_ beautiful."

"Shut up."

"You're beautiful. Especially where it counts."

"So why can't you love me?" she demanded. 

"Libby--" Chris looked upset. "Did something happen with Andie today? This wasn't brought on spontaneously."

She nodded. "She said you'll always love her more than you'll ever love me. And it's true."

"She's just a bitch. And she's jealous." He stroked her face. "She's jealous of _you_, Libby, because she knows I love you."

"You do?"

Looking at her wounded, expectant face, Chris just fell in love with her. He lowered his head and kissed her. He felt her arm slip tentatively around his neck and he pulled her closer. She was trembling. 

"Why are you shaking so bad?" he demanded, pulling away from the kiss. 

"I feel so stuck!" she exclaimed. "I don't know what to do when I'm with you because you're always missing her and wishing I were her and I know that but then you kiss me and I don't care! And I know you're not doing it on purpose because I know you're like the greatest person ever but you make me feel like I'm less than what I am and now I'm going to cry and that's just _great_."

"You are not less than anything," Chris said angrily. "I hate that I'm making you cry, Libby. But when I'm with you, I _forget_ about Andie, I don't wish you were her. I do miss her. But I'm happy with you. I see you and I instantly feel better. I've only known you for four months, but when you were accusing me of not being in love with you, I realized how badly I _am_ in love with you. Please stop being so scared. I wouldn't hurt you, and God, Libby, I would never keep you in a relationship to make you feel second best."

Libby choked on a small sob. "I can't believe I let her do this to me. I thought I was stronger."

"You _are_ stronger. You're stronger than _her_. And that's why she's trying to break you down."

Libby flexed her arms. "You think I'm stronger? I kinda think I'm a little bony."

"Oh come _on_. Look at those muscles," he teased. "You could definitely kick her ass."


	29. Author's Note

Hi people that read my story :) Nope, this story isn't finished. I'm just leaving it for awhile so that I can work on other things. I have to edit a bunch of stories and stuff for my cousin to read without her telling her mother what a potty mouth I am, and I'm writing a Remember the Titans fic. And also, I really have no idea where this damn story is going, which is pissing me off, so I figure I'll just leave it for now and come back to it when I'm not pissed off at it :) I'll get back to it though, so if you're like into it, don't worry. Thanks!! 


	30. Spring Dance

****

However many months later…

The Formal Spring Dance. 

Delia stood on her tiptoes to lean into Dexter so he could hear her. "I'm gonna park you next to Chris, okay?"

"Why?" Dexter asked, a wry smile stretching across his face. "Did you spot a better looking blind guy?"

"Not a chance," she laughed, and led him to where Chris and Libby were giggling wildly about something. Libby had a glass of fruit punch and kept spilling it due to her violent laughter, and Chris was clutching her arm to prevent himself from falling over. "Hi. I'm going to the bathroom. Please do not allow Dexter to escape."

"Wait for me!" Libby cried, latching onto Delia's arm. "I've had too much to drink!"

"How do you feel about Captain Kangaroo?"

"He should be shot."

"Yes." Tabitha tried to think for a moment, although Vern's hands low on her back distracted her. "What's your favourite colour?"

"Blue," Vern said confidently. He looked down at her and smiled because the way the dim lights fell on her shimmery strawberry blond hair was like magic. "How about you?"

"Red. Because it's pretty and bright and it's like 'ooh look at me, I am very red.'"

"Colours don't talk."

"But if they did, that's what red would say." She grinned. "We have retarded conversations."

"I know. That's one of the reasons I love you." He rested his forehead against hers. "No one else agrees with me about how amazing Mighty Mouse is."

Her laughter was beautifully musical. "Oh yeah? What are some of the other reasons?"

Vern kissed her. 

"So you taking care of my sister, man?" Chris asked Dexter, the two of them leaning against the gym wall. He was keeping his eyes away from the sight of Gordie and Abby making out on the dance floor. 

"I guess the wise thing to say would be 'yes of course I'm taking care of her,'" Dexter said, grinning.

"She's happy," Chris told him with a shrug. "And you probably had something to do with that."

"Don't beat me up or anything, but I kinda love her."

"Why would I beat you up?"

"Because you're her brother? And I can't see?"

"Nah. It's about damn time someone loved Delia for who she is and not for what she looks like or what they could use her for." Chris shook his head. "But if _Gordie_ doesn't get his hands off my _other_ sister, I might do some damage."

"So she's like 'DAMMIT Abby, act your age not your shoe size' so I'm like 'I have HUGE feet, Delia!' and then she was like 'Are you a COMPLETE moron?' and I'm like 'NOPE! INCOMPLETE!'"

Gordie watched, a smile deepening on his face as Abby bounced to the music, breathlessly telling him about a fight that she and Delia had had that morning over a piece of toast. She always had too much energy. 

He loved her, but lately he had been feeling drained. So he excused himself to get a drink, oddly feeling sad when she sounded cheerful saying 'I'll still be here.' She had no idea what was going through his head. But neither did he, really. 

Out in the cold air of the hallway, Gordie felt like he was spinning out. Leaning over the fountain, he just closed his eyes and let the water run over his face. 

A realization fell on him. He was sinking back into the stupid hole of sadness and inadequacy and never-ending grief. Nothingness without end. 

And there was a girl back in the gym that was willing to help him in any way she could; the first girl he'd ever loved. He didn't know what he was going to do if he kept slipping. He couldn't just let Abby continue to try and keep him from sinking below the surface. It wasn't fair to her. 

__

What am I gonna do? He pleaded silently to Denny. _I'm sacrificing the girl that means everything because I can't stop being alone without you. What do I do? Do I keep her?_

"Hey, Gordie, you taking a bath?" Abby called. He stood up to face her, and she was just so perfect he wasn't sure if he could talk. 

"Yep. A bath," he said softly. 

"You okay?"

"Sure."

"Missing Denny?"

Nodding, Gordie looked up at the ceiling miserably. _What are you thinking, Denny? Are you even there anymore?_

Holding his hand firmly, Abby put her head on his shoulder. "He'd be so proud of you, Gordo."

Walking out of the girls' room, Delia sighed, "I hate going into the gym when it's all hot and gross and stuff. I think I'll see if I can talk Dexter into leaving."

"Ooh, that sounds like it could get scandalous," Libby said eagerly. 

"Uh, yes." She looked down the hall and grumbled to herself. "Son of a bitch. I feel attack of niceness coming on, you coming with me?"

"Where?" Libby asked. Delia didn't reply, but Libby followed her anyway. 

The sun was setting deep into the sky as Andie looked out the window. Kids were streaming past her, not noticing the tears flowing down her face. 

She couldn't bring herself to go inside the gym. Not like this. Not when they could see how weak she was. 

She caught a glimpse of herself in the window's reflection. Her cheeks were bright pink, and she had never looked more sad. Andie turned away from herself, only to see Delia and Libby behind her. 

"Jesus, Delia," she muttered, bristling with defensiveness. "I don't need it right now, okay?"

"Need what?" Delia demanded. "Friends? That's the only reason we're here. You look like you could use a friend."

"You two have never been my friends."

"Yes, well, tonight, we're all you've got judging by the looks of things," Delia said casually. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Andie cried. "Why can't you just leave me alone, Delia?"

"Andie…"

"Fuck off!" 

"Andie, no," Delia said, and forced Andie into a hug. 

Libby watched in amazement as Andie stopped struggling, and sunk into Delia's arms, crying. 

"I just wanted him to really love me, you know?" Andie sobbed. "I wanted him to get better so that he could love me back, but no one thinks I'm worth it, Delia--Who's going to change for me?"

"You're talking about Teddy, right?"

"Yes," she murmured. 

"Teddy does love you, Andie," Delia insisted. "He keeps on going back to you."

"Because he thinks I'm easy."

"Shut up," she snapped. "People have been trying to help Teddy for years now. You are the only person Teddy has trusted. You're the only person he's allowed to get close to him."

"He got wasted tonight." 

Delia could feel Andie shaking in her arms. 

"He hasn't had anything to drink since January. Then he goes out with me, and…Jesus, Delia, why do I love him so much?"

"What did he do to you tonight? Did he say something?"

"He changes when he's drunk. I mean, he's called me a slut before, but tonight it just sounded like he _meant_ it…"

"You know what, Andie?" Delia said. "I don't usually like you all that much. And I don't usually like Teddy all that much. But I still care a lot about both of you. And Teddy _has_ changed over the past few months, and it's because of you. Because you believe in him, because you don't think he's a waste of time or that he's too far-gone. Both you and Teddy have hurt a lot of people to be honest with you. But when you two are together…you don't hurt anyone. You just belong." She ran her fingers through Andie's sun-bleached blond hair. "And so what if he made a mistake? All those months he went without drinking, he did it for _you_, and he'll do it again until he's not going to make anymore mistakes."

Andie had stopped crying. She just stood there with her cheek pressed against Delia's shoulder. She turned her eyes to look up at Libby. "I suppose this is very gratifying to you?"

Libby shook her head. "No."

"You don't think I deserve all this?"

"I think you deserve Teddy."


	31. We Need To Talk

June 1st was addictively hot. It wasn't so hot that you had to hover over a dust-blowing fan; you just couldn't help but go outside to enjoy the sun. 

But it was still too hot for unnecessary clothing. 

Feeling lazy, Abby laid under a tree by the river, dressed in cut off denim shorts and a white bathing suit top. Letting her arm fall over her face to shield her eyes from the glaring sun, she decided she was perfectly content on just getting a tan. 

Gordie peered over at her, wondering if she was asleep. Then he decided he didn't care because he was getting stick pokey things in his bare back and it had been her idea to come out to the embankment, so she did not get to sleep. He poked her in the stomach. 

She frowned and brushed his hand away. "Don't touch my tummy flub," she mumbled. 

Not giving up, he rolled over on to his stomach and draped an arm over so he had one hand on either side of her. The feeling of warm, slightly sweaty bare skin against bare skin was too much for him and he had to pull back slightly. "Abby."

She peered up at him from under arm. "Oh, hello," she smiled, reaching up to him and brushing his soft brown hair off his forehead. 

"I need to talk to you," he said, not smiling back. 

Dexter broke away, still tasting Delia on his lips. He smiled, but wished so badly to see her face. She felt beautiful. He would give almost anything to be able to look in her eyes or see her smiling back at him. 

He opened his mouth to tell her something, but then she said it first, an innocent giggle in her voice. "I love you, Dexter."

He grinned wryly, kissing the tip of her nose. "I don't blame you." When he heard her laugh, he joined in. Then he slowly let his hand drift up the front of her shirt, surprised when she didn't pull away, but instead kissed him harder. 

"Delia…?" he began.

"What?" she demanded, and he couldn't help but smile. He loved that he had been able to bring out the sweetness in her for everyone else to see, but he had to admit that the bitchy side of her was very appealing. "You expecting me to slap you on the wrist or something?"

"I wasn't _wanting_ you to."

"I'm not a prude or anything, Dexter," she said, somewhat crossly. "You're my boyfriend. We're _supposed_ to be touchy-feely."

"Delia, I know, but you've talked to me about your dad and I don't want to make you feel threatened in any--"

Suddenly he didn't feel her up against him anymore, but he did feel his bed rise slightly as she got off of it. 

"Do not talk to me about my father, Dexter," she said in a low, grating voice. 

"Stop, Delia, come here," he pleaded, mad at himself for upsetting her. It would have been _so_ much easier to not let his conscience interfere with sliding into second base.

"You are not my father. You are not _like_ my father. I wouldn't be with you if you were anything like him."

"I know."

"Why can't anyone just let me forget him?" she shouted. 

Dexter wasn't used to hearing her raise her voice. "Delia," he snapped. "Come here. We need to talk."

Gage took Libby to the ice cream parlour, a kind and rare gesture on his part. 

"I'm just doing this because one of the servers is hot," he explained, discreetly pointing to a blond pigtailed girl. "Go sit down and I'll order for you so I can flirt in private."

"Hey, isn't that Ace Merrill's sister though?"

"Yeah. Hot, huh?"

"He is gonna KICK your ass."

"Nah, we're friends."

"Not if you boink his little sister." Libby raised an eyebrow at him and then told him, "I want nuts."

"Uh, good for you."

"On my ice cream."

"I know."

Libby's eyes widened when she spotted Teddy sitting in a corner booth alone. He glanced up at her, fluorescent lights reflecting off his glasses. 

Their "relationship," for lack of a better term, was not a friendly or comfortable one. 

So when Libby walked over to his table, he looked surprised and panicked. 

"What are you doing here alone on a Saturday?" she asked, not bothering or even thinking to say hi. 

"To be frank," Teddy said, "I have my eye on Ally Merrill."

Andie's tears sprang to Libby's mind, and she grumbled inwardly to herself, wondering what the hell it was about Andie that made everyone care about her. 

She sat down heavily, defeatedly, across from Teddy. "I need a word with you, buddy."

"What is it?" Abby asked, absentmindedly tracing a finger along his collarbone. 

"I'm scared that I'm not treating you like you deserve to be treated," he blurted. 

Abby searched his face, her eyebrows knit in confusion. "Gordie, why do you think that?"

Sighing, Gordie flopped back on his side. It felt nice to be honest with her. "I need you so much, and it's like you _always _have to be there for me and I'm not there for you…you're perfect to be, Abby, you're perfect _for_ me, but I'm not fair to you. I don't know if I'll ever leave behind what Denny took from me when he died--if that makes any sense at all--and I just take too much from you."

This time, Abby rolled over on top of Gordie. "Okay. Hmm. Okay. I love you. And you…love me. I know that. You're the best thing to ever happen to my life, and just being with you is enough for me. I'm in love with you. And I know you're in love with me. You could _never_ take too much from me because you keep on giving back."

"You mean that."

"Very muchly."

Gordie grinned, stretched up and kissed her softly. Then he rested back on the ground and she gave him a playfully seductive look. He laughed and said, "I need to find my shirt."

"There is nothing I want more than to…_be_ with you," Dexter murmured into Delia's coconut-scented hair. "And I know you want to forget about your dad. But being with me and forgetting your dad should not be the same thing."

"It's not," she insisted. "Dexter, I am trying to forget that asshole, and you've helped me, along with Chris and therapy. I could not be with you if it weren't for all the help I've gotten. I never could have let you touch me and not feel used. I never could have learned what loving someone with every part of me could be like, and I never would have known what honest, selfless love felt like to receive. " Dexter heard a shiver in her voice. "My father is dead. My memories are _not_ dead. But Dexter, you keep me so _alive_. I never knew how to feel until there was you."

Dexter was so oddly, strangely moved that he didn't know if he would be able to speak his emotions. "Delia, you are so beautiful, I just wish I could see you."

His breath caught in his chest as her hands lowered. "Then just feel me," she murmured. 

"Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Teddy stared at Libby in disbelief. "A pardon?"

"You see, you're sitting here, trying to see if you can get some new girl to fall for you so you can feel all ballsy, and then you can get her wrapped up in all your fucking pain and just cut her off completely--"

"What are you talking about, Libby?" he demanded. 

"I'm talking about Andie! God knows I can't stand the conniving little bitch, but you know what, she loves you. And you love her back, asshole, don't deny it because you know she does something to you. You made her cry last night, did you know that?"

"I was kinda drunk."

"Of course you were!" she cried. "Alcohol is the only thing you're true to, isn't it Teddy? Andie thinks she can save you, and dammit, you either tell her that you are beyond her help, or you _let _her save you. Stop _fucking_ with her!"

He laughed bitterly; mockingly. "Gee Libby, aren't you just the snippy one today. Andie must have gotten to you, huh?"

"Whatever."

"I never claimed to have good judgement, but giving you up was stupid even for me." He grinned. "You're kinda sexy when you're mad."

"Shut up. I'm just trying to do what I think is right."

"Oh, that's very noble of you, very _self-righteous. _Have you been taking hypocrite lessons from Chris?"

"_Fuck_ you!" she yelled, as Gage grabbed her by the wrist and pulled me violently to my feet. She noticed he didn't have any ice cream.

"Jesus, I can't take you anywhere!" Gage exclaimed. 

"I didn't come here to talk about _me_, Teddy, I just wanted you to stop hurting Andie! How can you deliberately hurt someone who's in love with you?" she demanded, trying to shake Gage off of her as he dragged her towards the door.

"Andie?" Gage looked over at Teddy and gave him thumbs up. "Man, way to be! That chick's HOT!"

Teddy muttered, taking off his glasses and wiping at his eyes. "She's more than that."

****

[Author's Note: There's one more chapter left!!] 


	32. Purple Haze

****

[Author's Note: I took some liberties on the song I used. It didn't come out till around '67-'69, something like that, but meh.]

On her walk over to Chris' house, Libby actually passed by Tabitha and Vern making out a bus stop. She squealed, covered her eyes and ran past. 

Then Delia came to the door, a perfectly content look on her face. "Hi, my best friend in the world!"

Grinning, Libby stared at her in suspicion. "Hello Delia, I love you too. The look on your face is strange."

Delia just smiled. 

"Okay, that's a 'there's a sale on fabric softener and I'm first in line' happy face or it's a 'I just lost my virginity' happy face."

Delia giggled. "Won't you come in?"

"Oh my GOD you had SEX!" Libby screamed, running further into the house. "I need Chris! Well actually later I want all the juicy details! And by ALL THE JUICY DETAILS I don't mean _ALL_ THE JUICY DETAILS. And by JUICY I do not mean I want to hear about bodily fluids! EWWWWWWWWWW you're disgusting!" She knocked urgently on Chris' door. "Chriiiis," she whined. 

Opening his door, Chris smiled at her like she was just the person he'd been hoping to see. Music played conservatively behind him. "Libby, hey!"

"I'm having a terrible day," she complained, sinking into his arms. "I did something nice for Andie, had a confrontation with Teddy, your sister is just absolutely gross and I missed you and I like this song, is it a new record?"

"Yep. Jimi Hendrix. Purple Haze." He patted her on the head. "There, there, Libby. Your day just got better!"

"I'll say," she giggled, and then screamed when Delia poked her head into the room. 

"Hey Libby," she called in an evilly cheerful, come-hither voice. "There's a sale on FABRIC SOFTENER!"

"AUUUUGGGH!" Libby howled, knocking her head against Chris' chest. 

"Hey, shh, everybody, I like this part!" Chris announced, and the two girls quieted down so he could listen. 

"Um," Delia said. "Did that man just say 'Excuse me while I kiss this guy?'"

"No, he said, 'Excuse me while I kiss the _sky_." He smiled down at Libby, lowering his head. 

"Eww," Delia said distastefully. 

Holding Libby softly but completely, Chris smiled. "Please excuse me while I kiss my sky."

****

[AN: That's the end! I figured I'd let you come up with your own conclusions about what happened with all of them :)]


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